PARCC Provokes Much Negative Reaction

This year, the Verona district, as part of an initiative being taken by 12 states and the District of Columbia, administered the PARCC standardized test for the first time.  PARCC (the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) was created by Pearson, a British company that has been making textbooks and other classroom materials for years. However, in 2015, the role of Pearson in classrooms has grown exponentially. This is because the PARCC does not just affect students while is being administered; its impact lingers in the curriculum the entire year.

Spanning over two weeks, the test’s “trial” administration provoked a great deal of negative reaction in Verona. According to myveronanj.com, a total of 10 percent of Verona students opted out of taking the test. This refusal can be attributed to the widespread belief that the PARCC is not a well-designed test.  One myveronanj.com reader, Beth O’Donnell-Fischer, went so far as to describe it in an op-ed as designed to “frustrate and fail students.”

Parents have led the movement by opting out their kids and speaking out, but significant opposition has come from students as well. On March 6, 2015, 200 students of Normal Community High School outside Chicago walked out during the testing to protest the PARCC. Students said they were motivated to take a stand because they felt constantly exhausted and oppressed by the omnipresence testing in their lives.

This feeling of exhaustion, and that too much focus is being put on testing,  is not uncommon.  At Forest Avenue Elementary School in Verona, some students had not gone to library or music class since November because they needed extra time to prepare for material on the test. This means they did not have the experience enriching their mind by playing music or reading, both of which have been connected with intelligence and critical thinking. Instead, young children were in captivity, given tedious instruction.

The test itself was described by some as deliberately confusing, others as unfair. VHS freshman Olivia Schechter had to analyze and answer questions about an ancient Greek epic poem translated into Old English, whereas some of her friends taking the test at the same time were given contemporary and easy to understand passages about relevant topics.

“I found it confusing while I was taking it, and frustrated after,” said Olivia. “Why should I randomly get the difficult work while my peers may not have to work as hard?”

Additionally, Olivia mentioned the unfairness that some of the questions were “tied together.” This means that a question may depend on the answer of another. Therefore, if you got the first question wrong, you would inevitably get the second wrong, too.

But what about the students who don’t take it? In a normal situation, the students who do not participate would be unaffected by the test they chose to refrain from. However, Pearson’s tyrannical rule over our schools makes the effect of the test unavoidable. Even if a child opts out, his/her curriculum is still dictated by the PARCC, and they still have to deal with rigid classrooms and a lack of freedom.

Additionally, for the two-week window during which the test were taken, school schedules were confusing, inconvenient, and in some cases, downright ridiculous. At VHS, seniors, who do not take the test at all, as well as students who opted out, had to deal with confusing and unproductive schedules. During the test, VHS students would be trapped in one class for two hours, then have other classes for only 30 minutes, and the schedule would repeat again in the afternoon. The long periods lasted for an eternity and the other periods were so short that it was impossible to get anything done. Two weeks were thrown down the drain, all thanks to a test which is supposed to improve our schools and help students learn.

The Board of Ed itself is against the PARCC. According to an article on myveronanj.com entitled “10 Percent of Verona Students Refuse To Take PARCC,” BOE President John Quattrocchi has been “openly critical of the test for many months.” Quattrocchi said that Pearson has caused school boards to be “forced to do something that we don’t believe is sensible, rational, or thought out.”

It is evident that no one supports the test, not even the Board of Ed, which exists to protect the well-being of our students, teachers, and schools. So ask yourself, what is the purpose of keeping something that only tortures people and is actually counterintuitive to learning? It is urgent and necessary that action be taken, for the sake of the well-being of our community. Verona High School has a reputation for being one of the best public schools in the state, so let’s keep it that way.