Common Core Assessments

Louisiana is one of 24 states participating in the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC.  PARCC, which was awarded a $186 million Race to the Top Assessment grant in September 2010, is developing a common set of K-12 assessments in English Language Arts and mathematics that are centered on measuring student progress based on the knowledge and skills necessary for high school graduates to be prepared for college and careers.  The assessments, set to be ready in time for the 2014-2015 school year, will mark student progress from 3rd to 12th grade.    

When complete, the PARCC assessment system will not only allow schools to measure student achievement at the end of the school year, but will provide for periodic measures of student progress throughout the school year.  Since almost half of the states are participating in PARCC, the assessments will provide states with a common metric for gauging the performance of students. For the first time, meeting standards in one state will mean students meet standards in at least 23 other states.  Thus states will have a clearer understanding of how the performance of their students compares to their peers across the country.

PARCC states have committed to building a K-12 assessment system that:

• Builds a pathway to College and Career Readiness for all students,
• Creates high-quality assessments that measure the full range of the Common Core State Standards,
• Supports educators in the classroom,
• Makes better use of technology in assessments, and
• Advances accountability at all levels.

As a governing state of PARCC, Louisiana is participating in and leading the actual development of the new assessments.  Louisiana will fully implement the PARCC assessments during the 2014-2015 school year.