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Howard County PARCC Scores Continue to Exceed State Norms

August 23rd, 2017

Results of the third annual PARCC assessments show Howard County public school students continuing to perform at levels that significantly outpace their peers across the state, as reflected in the 2017 scores released today by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).

The PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) assessment is aligned to the Maryland College and Career Ready Standards. Introduced during the 2014–2015 school year, the tests measure learning to high standards and emphasize the need for students to demonstrate critical thinking, problem solving and clear writing skills. The tests are designed to assess if students are on track to graduate high school prepared to succeed in college and careers without remediation.

PARCC uses a five-point score scale. Students performing at levels 4 and 5 are considered on track for college and career readiness.

“PARCC provides an additional indicator into student progress, and can be a valuable tool for supporting student achievement when used in tandem with other indicators such as elementary reading levels, SAT scores or AP performance,” said Interim Superintendent Michael J. Martirano.

Testing at the elementary and middle school levels includes English/language arts (ELA) and mathematics. The 2017 ELA results in Grades 3–5 rose by nearly 3 percentage points over last year’s scores, with 56.9 percent of students achieving at levels 4 and 5 combined, compared to 54 percent last year. Performance for HCPSS students overall was 15.9 percentage points above the state average of 41 percent.

Howard County ELA results for Grades 6–8 also showed improvement, with 55.5 percent testing at levels 4–5, compared to 53.5 percent last year, and exceeded the state average by 15.4 percentage points.

Grade 3–5 mathematics results declined slightly, with 56.2 percent of HCPSS elementary students performing at levels 4 and 5 combined, compared to 57.2 percent last year. The scores outpaced the Maryland average by 17.5 percentage points.

Middle school mathematics scores also improved, with 53.5 percent of students achieving or exceeding college readiness targets, compared to 50.7 percent in 2016. Middle school grade level math scores are not comparable at the state level, because a large proportion of students begin advanced level mathematics in these grades, and course sequence practices vary widely among school systems.

Test results at the high school level show HCPSS students making notable gains in mathematics and ELA achievement, and continuing to outperform their Maryland peers. Participation in PARCC Algebra I and English 10 tests are required to meet Maryland graduation requirements.

On the 2017 Algebra I assessment, 62.6 percent of HCPSS students achieved at levels 4 and 5 combined, an improvement of 5.9 percentage points over the 56.7 percent average in 2016, and 26.1 percentage points above the state average.

On the English 10 assessment, 65.2 percent of HCPSS students are at levels 4 and 5 combined, an increase of 6.4 percentage points over the prior year average of 58.8 percent, and exceeding the Maryland 49.3 percent average by nearly 16 percentage points.

PARCC tests are unique in that they evaluate real-world skills that are essential to career and college readiness, such as solving problems and constructing effective written responses, which are not assessed through most other formal measures. The scores also provide specific feedback on areas where students need additional support or challenge, which can be helpful for individualizing instruction.

The full results are available at http://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov.