New Jersey has big plans for its PARCC testing requirements for high school students. Government officials and the state’s Board of Education have endorsed a plan that creates a test that better reflects student learning and causes less disruptions in teaching.

As reported by NJ.com and local news sources, on October 3, 2018, the new agreed upon proposals for the PARCC will affect the class of 2021 and beyond. The proposals, which will be voted in the near future, state that all students still need to take the assessment as a graduation requirement, but have alternative routes to meeting that requirement if they do not reach or exceed a “passing” score on the test. After taking the PARCC, students will be able to submit their other test scores, such as ACT or SAT scores, if needed.

Although Governor  Phil Murphy vowed to eliminate the PARCC completely upon his appointment and has failed to do so, he was able to work with the states Department of Education to come up with a plan that would benefit New Jersey students. Under the proposed plan, the 9th and 10th grade test would be reduced from three to two in each subject (math and English), while the required science exam remains. The proposal also eliminates the 11th grade English test.

The Lancer Ledger will follow this developing story.