Imagine, the night before the big test and you can’t fall asleep. OHHHH!!! PARCC testing tomorrow morning!!! PARCC is an assessment that is aligned to the Common Core State Standards, which 3rd-11th graders take twice every year. To PARCC’s dismay, assessments are in jeopardy in United states, as the schools push forward with a movement to extend the school year. In my opinion, I believe that school districts shouldn’t allow PARCC testing.

Before taking the PARCC assessments, these assessments always stress out the kids. To begin, there have been reports of kids throwing up during high stakes standardized tests or inflicting harm to themselves as a result of test stress, which are already common. For instance, in our school, kids get stressed out before they take the assessment. It is hard to believe that the testing experiences will result in more of our children feeling anxious and frighten. In addition, PARCC has a lot of critical and comprehensive thinking. For example, in a public school children will feel overwhelmed with the critical and comprehensive thinking required within the English section of the assessment. This shows that educational performance is largely due to motivational issues and the ability to comprehend. Furthermore, these tests, curricula and pedagogical storage ties tied to them are extremely demotivating. Can you imagine that PARCC stresses out millions of kids across the country? As you can see, PARCC stresses out the kids before, during and after they take this assessment.

When children take the PARCC assessments, it uses up their class time. To begin, teachers aren’t sure how much time kids spend testing and in testing preparation in other classes. For instance, my math teacher doesn’t know how much students spend testing and social studies teachers don’t know how much time we spend in preparing. Can you believe that PARCC will add up 3 more hours daily to the school year through the preparation and actual testing?  In addition, PARCC takes away education time for children because they miss their classes in school. For instance, when I was taking PARCC in March on one of the makeup days, I missed English and Math class. Due to the fact that I missed class to make up testing, it took away my education time in English and Math. It’s hard to believe how much time PARCC will take. Last but not least, PARCC sometimes cancels classes, whether full period or half period classes. For instance, in a public School in 6th through 8th grade, period 1 and 2 full time class are cancelled during testing. However, sometimes they shorten it up after PARCC. It is so surprising that PARCC has eaten up much class time in the school year. Losing class time to take PARCC is not helpful for students or teachers.

Did you know during the school year, PARCC is twice a year instead of once a year? To begin, PARCC is opposed by many New Jersey residents for varying reasons. Residents are opposed PARCC because the online testing format is very problematic, particularly for younger students, diagnostically and instructionally useless, and while taking and preparing for PARCC and other high stakes standardized tests, it is replacing learning. PARCC will further distort curricula and teaching and other high stakes standardized tests have an enormous financial cost. Can you believe how many reasons why people oppose PARCC? Additionally, 3rd through 11th graders will be tested 4 times a year in English and 5 times  a year in math. For instance, in a public school, 3rd through 8th graders will be testing 5 times a year in Language arts and 4 times in math. Can you imagine how much time is going into testing by PARCC being twice a year? Last but not least, PARCC can creates false narrative of failure and causing great harm to children and school districts. For instance,  teachers don’t know if more than half the grades were labeled as failures. It is surprising that teachers don’t know if the kids in each grade will be labeled as failures.

On the other side, people argue that PARCC testing is great for children to take.To begin, advocates for PARCC believe more rigorous tests will help students become college and career ready and that these tests are designed to make sure students understand how to solve problems rather than simply memorizing answers. For instance, a principal assumes that the students in the school, will solve problems in their school work and get students ready to go to college and get careers. Additionally, states that administer the PARCC will be able to draw comparison between their students progress and students are supposed to be achieved by the end of each grade. However, this high level assessment causes children to get stressed and tune out during the assessment. Therefore, the scores are not actually accurate. I cannot believe what students are supposed to achieve at each grade. Lastly, students are supposed to know about the common core standards. For instance, I receive a common core standards packet that has to help me for PARCC testing, which is difficult to do. However, doing this PARCC packets takes away from actual. class time. As you can see, even though it's common core aligned, it is still extremely difficult for students.

In conclusion, school’s shouldn’t have PARCC because it stresses out the kids, it is twice a year instead of once, and it eats up a lot of class time. Year round school is the answer to the economic and educational problems in the United States during PARCC. The year round schedule will prevent students from losing hard earned knowledge gained during the school year. Readers should present this report about PARCC to school districts and the U.S. What do you think? Should schools have students take the PARCC?