Take the Test!
Each week from now until the start of the spring assessments, we will post a PARCC sample test item to give parents and others a glimpse into the kinds of questions students can expect. Try your hand, share it, and try other PARCC test questions. Because the test is deeply aligned to the standards, there’s no need for “test prep” in the traditional sense – and it would do little good. That’s because the test questions and tasks require students to show their understanding of concepts, their ability to write, capacity to reason mathematically, and the ability to apply these skills. You can’t drill for that – but effective and engaging teaching all year long by great teachers will prepare students.
Each week from now until the start of the spring assessments, we will post a PARCC sample test item to give parents and others a glimpse into the kinds of questions students can expect. Try your hand, share it, and try other PARCC test questions. Because the test is deeply aligned to the standards, there’s no need for “test prep” in the traditional sense – and it would do little good. That’s because the test questions and tasks require students to show their understanding of concepts, their ability to write, capacity to reason mathematically, and the ability to apply these skills. You can’t drill for that – but effective and engaging teaching all year long by great teachers will prepare students.
Students and their teachers have been working with the new standards and new kinds of writing and mathematics tasks for the past few years. The practice tests and sample items are intended to help students and teachers preview the kinds of questions they will see on the tests and, in the case of the online versions, get used to the online format.
This week, we have an example of a Grade 4 mathematics test question. This is the kind of item a student would see on the early spring “performance-based” portion of the test, which includes longer questions that usually require multiple steps. It measures critical thinking, reasoning and the ability to apply skills and knowledge.
We asked Doug Sovde, PARCC’s mathematics content director, to walk us through the task:
Part A asks students to show they know that a fraction is a number, not just a comparison of a part to the whole. This puts the focus on understanding the concept. In the online version, students interact with the problem by placing fractions on the number line, an example of using technology to enhance the question.
In Part B, students are asked to make sense of the fractions as numbers by comparing them — taking a step beyond just putting them on the number line.
In Part C, students apply their understanding by creating a fraction that is between 3/2 and 5/6. You can see that the tasks build upon one another and ask students to do more than just procedures. Students are asked to demonstrate understanding and apply and explain their knowledge.
Try out the practice tests yourself! Practice tests are available in English language arts/literacy and mathematics at all grade levels, 3-11. You can also find examples of old-style test items and PARCC test items that show what makes PARCC different.
Posted on January 7, 2015 by David Connerty-Marin
This week, we have an example of a Grade 4 mathematics test question. This is the kind of item a student would see on the early spring “performance-based” portion of the test, which includes longer questions that usually require multiple steps. It measures critical thinking, reasoning and the ability to apply skills and knowledge.
We asked Doug Sovde, PARCC’s mathematics content director, to walk us through the task:
Part A asks students to show they know that a fraction is a number, not just a comparison of a part to the whole. This puts the focus on understanding the concept. In the online version, students interact with the problem by placing fractions on the number line, an example of using technology to enhance the question.
In Part B, students are asked to make sense of the fractions as numbers by comparing them — taking a step beyond just putting them on the number line.
In Part C, students apply their understanding by creating a fraction that is between 3/2 and 5/6. You can see that the tasks build upon one another and ask students to do more than just procedures. Students are asked to demonstrate understanding and apply and explain their knowledge.
Try out the practice tests yourself! Practice tests are available in English language arts/literacy and mathematics at all grade levels, 3-11. You can also find examples of old-style test items and PARCC test items that show what makes PARCC different.
Posted on January 7, 2015 by David Connerty-Marin