Assessment

Department of Defense Education Group Joins PARCC

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 11/17/15

Even as PARCC has begun offering additional formats for its Common Core state standard-aligned assessments, it has attracted a new member. The Department of Defense Education Activity, the DoD organization in charge of pre-kindergarten through grade 12 education, has enlisted with PARCC on behalf of the 172 schools it operates for its military and civilian families around the world.

Earlier this year the agency issued a formal request for proposals for assessment services. It awarded a one-year renewable contract with a period of performance up to six years to Parcc Inc., which runs the assessment program for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. The contract includes use of PARCC's assessment system, created and run by Pearson Education, PARCC's primary test vendor, as well as professional development programs for educators and access to instructional tools. The value of the contract is estimated at more than $20 million.

"This is an important step for PARCC as the consortium moves into the expansion and sustainability phase, providing more students with access to high quality assessment items and tools," said Hanna Skandera, secretary of education in New Mexico, a PARCC state. The Department of Defense Education Agency "is the first to use PARCC content in this new phase of expanded participation and continues our goal of improving instruction and assessments for more students and allowing them to reach their full potential."