Baltimore city school students have spent the past several weeks taking new state assessments online, and officials report that the process -- which was anticipated to test the limits of technological infrastructure and resources statewide -- has run smoothly.
The district administered 43,878 tests and 4,565 are ongoing as it winds down the first administration of the online Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessments, which align with the Common Core standards adopted in Maryland in 2011.
The assessments are being given for the first time to students in grades three through eight throughout the month of March. High-schoolers are taking a 10th-grade English test and Algebra I, and some are taking an Algebra II test that isn't required.
Last year, a report from the Maryland State Department of Education found that schools across the state would have to make $100 million in technological and other upgrades to prepare for the PARCC, and even that wouldn't protect them from potential blackouts and other major problems.
City officials said that they have been preparing for PARCC for two years, and the results so far have been reflected the effort.
All of the city schools administering the exams tested their infrastructure in February and to ensure they were ready to begin in March. Call centers expedited service calls. Technicians have been stationed throughout the district to respond to issues more quickly. Issues have been resolved on-site in two hours, or at most, a day.The school system administered paper exams to third and sixth graders, which it said made its "technology capacity even stronger."
At least one charter school reported an issue, but it was not a part of the system's network.
"As with all things that are new and related to technology there have been some kinks," officials said. "This is the year to iron those out, figure out what works, what doesn't, and what we can improve on for future years."
But so far, so good.
erica.green@baltsun.com
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