Instructional Implications for

PARCC Assessment in

the Science and Social Studies

ClassroomMaryland College and Career Readiness Conference

Summer 2014

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• Identify the role of literacy in Science and Social Studies on PARCC.

• Identify the rationale and elements of PARCC.

• Review sample content PARCC items.

• Discuss the implications for the Science and History/Social Studies classroom.

Outcomes

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What is the role of Literacy in Science and Social Studies on PARCC?

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College and Career Readiness Standards

in Literacy

…….set requirements not only for English language arts (ELA) but also for literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. Just as students must learn to read, write, speak, listen, and use language effectively in a variety of content areas, so too must the Standards specify the literacy skills and understandings required for college and career readiness in multiple disciplines.

MCCSS Introduction to Literacy

College and Career Readiness StandardsFor ELA and Literacy

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History and Social Studies

ELA Science and Technical Subjects

PARCC Assessments Mirror

College and Career Readiness

• Elementary 50% informational 50% literary

• Middle 60% informational 40% literary

High 70% informational 30% literary

How was PARCC developed to ensure alignment to the College and Career Readiness Goals?

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1. Complexity: Regular practice with complex text and its academic language.

2. Evidence: Reading and writing grounded in evidence from text, literary and informational.

3. Knowledge: Building knowledge through content rich nonfiction.

What Are the Shifts at the Heart of PARCC Design (and the Standards)?

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PARCC:• builds a staircase of text complexity to

ensure college and career readiness.

• rewards careful, close reading rather than racing through passages.

• PARCC systematically focuses on the words that matter most (academic vocabulary).

Shift 1: Regular practice with complex text and its academic language

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• PARCC focuses on students rigorously citing evidence from texts.

• PARCC includes questions with more than one right answer.

• PARCC requires writing to sources (authentic literary and informational science/technical and history/social studies text.

Shift 2: Reading and writing grounded in evidence from text, literary and informational

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• PARCC assesses not just ELA but a full range of reading and writing across the disciplines of science and social studies.

• PARCC simulates research on the assessment, including the comparison and synthesis of ideas across a range of informational sources.

Shift 3: Building knowledge through content rich nonfiction

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The CCSS Shifts Build Toward College and Career Readiness for All Students

Take a look at PARCC Discipline Specific Text Sample Items

PARCC SAMPLE ASSESSMENTSReview by Content Area

Grade 9 Science ExampleEOY Summative

Anchor Text• Fingerprinting

DNA

Grade 11 Social Studies Example

Performance Assessment

Anchor Text• Abigail Adams Supporting Research

Texts• 2 primary source

letters

Assessment Review

• Choose the science or social studies sample assessment.

• Read the selected complex text and answer the sample assessment questions and identify the standard.

• Check your responses with the table team leader.

Take the Test and Record Your Answers

PART 1

What criteria is used in the development of the PARCC Test Items to ensure assessment quality?

Use the following slides to reflect on sample test items.

Part 2

Texts Worth Reading

Authentic texts worthy of study are used instead

of artificially produced or commissioned passages.

Was your PARCC sample text worth reading?

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Did the questions guide the reader back into the text to build deep understanding?

Questions Worth Answering:

Sequences of questions are used to draw students into deeper encounters with texts.

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Did the questions align to Standards used in classroom instruction?

Fidelity to the StandardsPARCC evidences are rooted in the language of the Standards so that expectations remain the same in both instructional and assessment settings.

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How do innovative item types showcase students’ command of evidence with complex text?

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PARCC Evidence Tables are Aligned with Literacy Standards in ELA, Science/Tech and History/Social Studies

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How does paragraph 2 of Abigail Adam’s letter to her husband most strongly contribute to the text as a whole?

a)It introduces Abigail’s main argument for independence, which is discussed more thoroughly in later paragraphs.*

b)It identifies the religious principles Abigail believes the Colonies are fighting for, which are discussed more thoroughly in later paragraphs.

c)It establishes Abigail’s belief that the colonies are losing the fight for independence because those fighting do not truly understand the importance of winning, which is discussed more thoroughly in later paragraphs.

d)It demonstrates that Abigail is certain that the Colonies will be a strong country if they win the war, which is discussed more thoroughly in later paragraphs.

Evidence-Based Selected Response (EBSR)

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Technology-Enhanced Constructed Response (TECR)

Complete the diagram below by choosing and correctly sequencing the steps of the process of developing a DNA fingerprint, as described in the text. Drag and drop each selected step into the appropriate box. Not all steps will be used.

Range of Prose Constructed Responses (PCR)

Both John and Abigail Adams believed strongly in freedom and independence. However, their letters suggest that each of them understood these terms differently based on their experiences.

Write an essay that explains their contrasting views on the concepts of freedom and independence. In your essay, make a claim about the idea of freedom and independence and how John and Abigail Adams add to that understanding and/or illustrate a misunderstanding of freedom and independence. Support your response with textual evidence and inferences drawn from all three sources.

How did the sample items you reviewed compare to text criteria?

What is Different About PARCC’s Development Process?

So, for the first time. . .

• PARCC is communicating in the same voice to teachers as it is to assessment developers! 

• PARCC is designing the assessments around exactly the same critical content the standards expect of teachers and students.

What is Different About PARCC’s Development Process?

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Notes About Content

• PARCC does not assess science or social studies content, but it does reflect MCC-R Standards for Literacy in Science/Technical Subjects and History/Social Studies.

• PARCC uses a variety of science/technical and history/social studies texts.

REFLECT ON THE ASSESSMENT SAMPLES

What are the implications for instruction in your classroom based on your review of the PARRC assessment?

• Identify the role of literacy in Science and Social Studies on PARCC.

• Identify the rationale and elements of PARCC.

• Review sample content PARCC items.

• Discuss the implications for the Science and History/Social Studies classroom.

Outcomes

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