Las Cruces students say they oppose ‘PARCC’ testing

Las Cruces students say they’re opposed to the state-mandated, “Partnership and Assess meant of Readiness for College and Careers Test,” even threatening on social media to walk out of class Monday, when testing is scheduled to begin.

The ‘PARCC’ is a new, but not an additional exam that the education department implemented this year. Administrators say it is a bit more rigorous than the exams students have seen in the past.

“The kids are frustrated, the teachers are frustrated and the parents are frustrated too,” Las Cruces High School parent Iris Salaiz said.

Las Cruces Public Schools says students have to look at the bigger picture-the exam is a graduation requirement.

“They need to be knowledgable before making a decision, before deciding not to take the PARCC exam,” LCPS Spokeswoman Jo Galvan said.

The PARCC exam is being given for the first time this year. It replaces the English and Math portions of the Standards Based Assessment. In 2010, the state adopted a new set of common core standards, which meant the exam would be more rigorous. Teachers have been training and teaching those standards ever since. Students must demonstrate competency in order to get their high school diploma.

“The primary shift to PARCC was because of the shift in the state of New Mexico to the common core standards. The assessment itself needed to assess those standards as opposed to assessing New Mexico standards, ” Director of Assessment, Analysis and Research at LCPS, Tim Hand said.

The exam will be a bit more difficult and course specific, different from the SBA.

“The way that worked, instead of based on the course, it was based on the year of the student. So in your second year and third year in high school, you would take the assessment,” Hand said.

Students say they’re exhausted by continual testing. Students take at least five exams a year plus course and college entrance exams like the SAT and the ACT.

Students will spend at least five hours on the first part of the PARCC in March and then another four hours in May.

These exams are also tied to teacher’s evaluations and the school’s grade, another area of concern.

“There’s no point to it, thy just have to because it’s school certified, they have to,” Las Cruces High School student Brian Lira said.

Parents do have the option to opt out of the exam. In that case, graduation credentials would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Those students run the risk of getting a Certificate of Completion and not a high school diploma.

The Public Education Department tells Abc-7, not issuing exam is against federal law and could lead to a loss in federal funding.