The state of Kentucky has withdrawn from the multi-state testing consortium known as the Partnership for Acceptance of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, Education Week reports.
The state has been on the fence for several months about the consortium and never agreed to participate in the field test for the exams coming up this spring. The states that remain committed to the field test include 14—Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Tennessee—but a few other states and the District of Columbia are still part of the consortium.
In a letter signed by Gov Steven L Beshear, Education Commissioner Terry Holliday, and state Board of Education Chair Roger L Marcum, a few reasons were given for the decision to withdraw.
Being a member of PARCC, they said, might create a conflict of interest in any competitive bidding process for the new wave of Common Core-aligned tests. A competitive bidding process is required under Kentucky law, and PARCC may submit a bid, but the state doesn’t want to look like it’s playing favorites by being a member of the PARCC consortium.
Also, the three writers say Kentucky has felt out of the loop regarding the ongoing development of PARCC tests. This has created confusion on the part of the media and public about the upcoming tests. As a result of the limited staff at the Department of Education, the state hasn’t been able to participate in much of PARCC’s work.
In addition, the limited staff has left questions from the public about Kentucky’s role as a “participating” rather than a “governing” state unanswered, which, in turn, has bolstered the confusion level and made even more work for people at the Department of Education.
So, one more state pulls out of the PARCC consortium. The grant for PARCC requires that it include at least 15 members, and it’s getting close: 18 states plus DC are now members, for a total of 19.
Although the letter states Kentucky’s desire to receive bids on the next wave of tests from PARCC, any bid PARCC might submit would likely not survive. Original projections, we reported, showed that Kentucky would probably spend about $10.5 million on PARCC’s tests in math and English language arts, representing an increase of almost $2 million over the amount the state spends on its current tests.