PARCC wants to delay some tests

The national group building the new tests that Colorado ultimately will use wants to delay some of those exams – but apparently not the important ones.

The Curriculum Matters blog of Education Week reported Thursday that the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers – better known as PARCC – intends to delay rollout of some diagnostic and other specialized tests until 2015-16.

The big annual tests in English and math, scheduled to replace Colorado’s TCAPs in the spring of 2015, are still on schedule, according to the group.

Janelle Asmus, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Education, told EdNews, “It doesn’t mean anything really for Colorado. They are delaying their interim and speaking/listening assessments. We will not be using the interim assessments. We will be using the speaking/listening when those come on line. … So really, this does not impact us but rather allows PARCC to focus on the assessments that we need.”