All About PARCC

PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) refers to a collection of exams administered to public school students on a yearly basis. Developed by experts from multiple states, PARCC exams are designed to measure scholar progress while maintaining Common Core standards for grades 3-11. Not only do states examine student performance by school, identifying problem areas, but schools assess individual student performance to determine where extra help may be required.

SMART Saturdays will return for SY 22-23 for our middle school and high school scholars. PARCC is given to 6th grade through 11th grade scholars at Paul Public Charter School.

Scholars and staff began PARCC prep during our in-person Saturday Academy also known as SMART Saturdays. SMART Saturdays begin at 9:00am in-person at Paul for middle school students only.

SMART Saturday is from 9:00-am to 12:00pm. Families can contact Ms. Woodson (ewoodson@paulchater.org) or Ms. McBeth (nmcbeth@paulcharter.org) for more information.

Lower Academy PARCC Super Saturday Initiative will return for School Year 22 – 23. 

PARCC Super Saturday is provided to allow scholars specific time to focus on skills and strategies directly connected to preparation for the administration of PARCC.

Scholars who participate each week will be entered into a raffle to win cool prizes like New Airpods, Nike Gift Cards, McDonald’s gift cards, and more. There are two sessions each Saturday from 9 AM – 11:15 AM.  Scholars must be in attendance at both sessions to qualify for the raffles.

Check out some of the highlights from the Super Saturday closeout for SY 21-22.

More information about the PARCC exams: 

• Administered at the end of the school year, the tests are designed to assess both problem solving and critical thinking. Their goal is to ensure students are prepared for college and their professional lives. Students take the PARCC test on a computer; numerous accommodations are available for those with learning challenges and disabilities.
• The PARCC exams consist of two components: English/language arts and math. For the English/language arts portion of the exam, students read fiction and nonfiction passages, watch videos, and listen to audio recordings. Then they answer multiple choice questions and write responses based on what they learned.
• For the math component, students solve problems requiring multi-step solutions. Because the math questions involve real-life situations, students must utilize reasoning and logic rather than rote memorization and procedure. Additionally, the revised PARCC exams require students to show their work. So, teachers have an enhanced ability to evaluate and identify gaps in understanding and tailor instruction accordingly.
• PARCC scores are assigned based on performance levels. Students receive marks between Level 1 and Level 5, with Levels 4 and 5 indicating that students are performing well. Scoring Level 3 means students need a little more help to meet expectations. A score of Level 1 or Level 2 suggests that students require significant intervention.