Governor: PARCC Destined To Go Away

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday that Arkansas is destined to stop using the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exam, so it needs to move away from it as soon as possible.

Speaking to Little Rock Rotary Club 99, Hutchinson explained his decision to direct the Department of Education to drop the exam by saying, “Clearly we’re going to move away from PARCC, whether it’s this year or the next year, and to me, you make that judgment, you ought to do it now so we can have more long-term stability and begin our comparability and our measurability under the new testing regime.”

The PARCC is an end-of-year student exam aligned with the Common Core. Arkansas has been part of a PARCC consortium that started out with 24 states and has dwindled to nine, including Arkansas, plus the District of Columbia. On June 8, Hutchinson recommended that the state join the exodus on the advice of a review panel he had appointed. On June 11, the State Board of Education declined to drop PARCC.

On June 22, Hutchinson directed the Department of Education through a letter to Education Commissioner Johnny Key to use a different test. In doing so, he relied on a memorandum of understanding dated Sept. 20, 2010, that says the governor or chief state school officer “shall affirm in writing to the Governing Board Chair the State’s continued commitment to participation in the Consortium.”

Speaking to reporters after his speech, Hutchinson said he had hoped that the State Board would agree to drop the exam, which has drawn significant opposition from lawmakers and others whose complaints include the length of the testing process. Key told him about the memorandum’s details after the State Board vote. Hutchinson said he formulated the letter during a trip to Paris and Germany last week.

All nine of the State Board’s members were appointed by Gov. Mike Beebe, but three of their terms expire at the end of this month. Hutchinson told reporters he planned to announce their replacements before the State Board’s July meeting. He said his appointments did not have to agree with his stance on PARCC.

“I want to make sure that they share my commitment for a strong education system in Arkansas, proper assessments. I want them to be able to be open-minded as they listen to the recommendations of the Common Core task force that’s been appointed, but I don’t believe in litmus tests,” he said.

Hutchinson said there is still time for Arkansas to adopt a different test, but he would like to make the move “as soon as reasonable.” In his letter, he said he preferred the ACT and ACT Aspire exams. Tuesday, he told reporters, “There’s still the issue of testing. I want to work with the State Board of Education, who will ultimately make the call on what type of test we’re going to have next year and beyond.”

Key said in an interview Monday that options would be presented to the State Board at its July meeting. The Department of Education has been studying time frames for a request for proposal for other tests as well as an ACT Aspire contract. He said the department has not “really identified a drop-dead date at this point” but estimated November would be the latest in order to provide time for training for school personnel.

Key said he had received “mixed reviews and comments” around the state regarding PARCC. Some regions were happy with it, and some weren’t. “But most folks just say, ‘Hey, get us something. Let us stick with it, and if we get something, stick with it; we’ll make it work,’ and that’s what they would really like to see,” he said.

Hutchinson said he “feel(s) bad for the teachers” who, if Arkansas drops the PARCC exam, will be administering their third test in three years.

“That’s frustrating to teachers,” he said. “I understand that, and they’re willing to go the extra mile, do what is necessary, but we are anxious to provide that stability in the classroom and commitment to a long-term testing so that we can compare year by year and consistently.”