News from the
Administration
February/March 2015
Beverly Farms Elementary School, 8501 Postoak Road, Potomac, MD 20854 301.469.1050
Dear Parents,
Third, fourth and fifth graders will take the
PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of
Readiness of College and Careers) test next
month. An overview of PARCC is on page 2.
The dates of the first administration of PARCC
in March are on this page. Please try to arrange
for any appointments to occur outside of the
days your child is scheduled to participate. Our
teachers are using the PARCC practice tools so
students will be familiar with the online format
of the test. Please check the websites on page
2 for additional information about PARCC.
Save the Date
The NAACP Churchill Cluster Conference is on
February 11th from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. It
will be held at Herbert Hoover Middle School.
The snow date is to be determined. Families
are welcome to attend.
FEBRUARY
2/13 Valentine’s Day Class Activity with
Room Parents 2:10
2/23 Class and Group Pictures
2/24 Class and Group Pictures
2/27 Early Release Day (12:35 p.m. dismissal)
MARCH PARCC TEST
Mornings
Grade 3
3/2 English Language Arts
3/3 English Language Arts
3/4 English Language Arts
3/5 Math
3/5 Math
Grade 4
3/9 English Language Arts
3/10English Language Arts
3/11English Language Arts
3/12 Math
3/13 Math
Grade 5
There are two picture days in February!
Keep alert in the carpool lane!
Thanks for your support!
3/16 English Language Arts
3/17 English Language Arts
3/18 English Language Arts
3/19 Math
3/20 Math
3/27 Professional Day-No School
Administration News October 2012
February/March 2015
Page 2
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is a group of states that
have come together to develop high-quality student assessments linked to new, more rigorous English
language arts (ELA)/literacy and mathematics standards. In spring 2015, students in Grades 3–8 will take
PARCC assessments in English language arts (ELA)/literacy and mathematics. These assessments will
replace the Maryland School Assessments, the current reading and mathematics state assessments.
Students enrolled in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and English 10 will take the PARCC assessments aligned with
those courses.
The PARCC assessments are aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and will measure the
essential literacy and problem-solving skills that students need to be successful in college and careers.
While many current state tests do not measure the ability of students to think critically and apply their
knowledge, PARCC will test writing skills and critical thinking and problem-solving skills in depth. These
critical thinking skills are an integral part of MCPS Curriculum 2.0.
There are two components to each PARCC assessment—the Performance-Based Assessment (PBA) and the
End-of-Year Assessment (EOY). The following describes what students will be asked to do in each of these
components:
ELA/LITERACY
MATHEMATICS
PBA: Write essays drawing evidence from
sources, including multimedia
PBA: Solve multistep problems that address
real-world situations and require reasoning
EOY: Demonstrate comprehension of literary
and informational texts
EOY: Demonstrate understanding of concepts
and apply knowledge
The PARCC assessments will be administered during two separate testing windows: The PBA will be
administered March 2 to 26, 2015, and the EOY will be administered April 20 to May 15, 2015. Schools will
decide which days within the testing windows to administer the assessments and will notify parents of the
dates when their children will take the test. The total testing time for each PARCC assessment is
approximately five to six hours, over several days.
Scores for the initial administration of the tests are expected to be reported in December 2015. For
subsequent administrations, scores will be reported by the end of the school year. In order to receive a
score, students must complete both the PBA and the EOY.
The following websites provide additional information for parents about the PARCC assessments:
PARCC Website
www.PARCConline.org
PTA Guide to New Assessments in Maryland
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/parcc
MCPS PARCC Website
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/parcc/
Maryland State Department of Education
marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/programs/parcc/
PARCC Practice Tests
parcc.pearson.com/practice-tests/
Source for PARCC Overview: MCPS Website
Beverly Farms: Where the Eagles Soar with Pride
Page 3
Car Loop-Safety First
State of Maryland Law:
No Texting. No Handheld Phones
The law applies, even in the car loop.
get inside cars.
Please be attentive even when the line temporarily halts so students can