Why Are Parents Opposed To PARCC Testing? –

PARCC, which is an abbreviation for Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, features a group of states that have partnered together for developing a standard set of assessments for students to measure whether they are ready for life after high school or not. The tests are computer based and high-quality K-12 assessments in English Language Literacy/Arts, as well as Mathematics.

The Purpose of PARCC Testing

The various states that have taken part in these standardized tests believe that with the help of PARCC testing, the students would be on track for being successful when they enter college life and beyond. They are also shown to provide the tools necessary for teachers and educators to be able to customize learning according to the needs of students. PARCC testing has been administered by the states for the school year of 2014 and 2015.

The committee strongly believes that this assessment will act as a tool to enhance learning, as well as teaching, , since the tests are more in line with the rigorous and new CCSS or Common Core State Standards. These standards ensure that the children are on the right path in terms of their future careers and learning after high school, and this is done by measuring the amount of knowledge that these students should possess at each level. The committee also intends on working towards providing teachers and parents with up-to-date information regarding the students that are falling behind and, as a result, might need additional help in excelling. This, they believe will help in making the system better.

The states involved in PARCC testing include District of Columbia, Rhode Island, Ohio, New York, New Mexico, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Louisiana, Illinois, Colorado, and Arkansas. In addition to this, Pennsylvania acts as a participating state.

The Concerns That Parents Have Regarding This Testing

In an open letter to President Barrack Obama, one concerned parent expressed the amount of worry she had with this type of testing. She stated that she too had a daughter, Eva, who was the same age as the president’s younger daughter, Sasha. However, a major difference between both their daughters was that Sasha went to private school whereas Eva went to public school, and as a result of going to private school, she did not have to face the PARCC testing that was imposed on her daughter, Eva.

In the letter, the mother stated that the questions asked in the assessment were extremely difficult and could not easily be comprehended by an adult, let alone a seventh grader. She said that her daughter was extremely bright, and she called the questions in the test “stupid”, “impossible”, and “crazy”.
A lot of other parents have expressed the same concern more or less, with many of them opting their children out of these tests altogether. Some of the parents are even concerned that this testing just adds on to the overall load that children have in school especially since they have to take many other tests as well. Preparing for these tests also hinder the progress of children in the class since they have to spend so much of their time preparing for them.

Many parents have felt that the questions on these tests do not test the abilities of students at a certain level since they are far more complex. In some of the cases, even the adults will not be able to answer certain questions. Considering the level of difficulty and the amount of effort that the children have to put in, it is not fair that the children have to go through all of that. Parents are thus fearing that their children will be put under a lot of pressure, and they would have to memorize as opposed to learn really for such kinds of tests, and this they feel is really unfair.

So, while the states think that the PARCC testing is for the best, many of the concerned parents and students think otherwise. While it is still not known whether the testing will continue in the future or not, the strict opposition might just put strong pressure on the committee.