A student settles in to take the PARCC test, but instead of carefully reading the passages and typing up a well thought-out essay, he checks in random answers and writes absolute gibberish for the essay. He’s not alone. According to a non-scientific Oracle-conducted survey of 78 junior English and advanced algebra students, 62 percent did not take the PARCC test seriously. Given reasons include the perceived lack of purpose for the test. Unlike the ACT, the score does not benefit the student in any way and is scheduled during the SRT, a block that should be for students, not for tests.
Despite these flaws, however, it is important that the PARCC test be taken seriously.
The test is an assessment of student’s progress, and poor scores reflect a poor school. If 62 percent of students did not take the test seriously, then it seems like 62 percent of students are essentially not ready for college.
For South, that is a huge issue.
As a high-achieving school, the decline of scores poses a problem. To the state and higher officials studying these scores, it says South has failed in college preparedness. As a school, we are not ready for the real world.
In short, by not performing our best on the PARCC test, we are giving South a bad reputation.
But the test is hard! And there are no real consequences for us, right?
Yes, while performing well on the test has no real benefits, it does provide information that can benefit the student. For one, the test can answer the question: Am I ready for college?
I’m not going to lie. It is difficult to treat the PARCC test seriously, but it’s important to remember the purpose of the test and the role it plays for our school. The test is a reflection of our school’s success, and we went our school to be successful.
Furthermore, considering it’s only the first year of the PARCC test, the test has plenty of room for improvement and better implementation. As students, we need to be patient as improvements are applied.
If the PARCC test is set to be a measurement of South’s as well as the state’s success, as students, we need to take the PARCC test on a more serious note.
