Thurgood Marshall Academy Students Significantly Outperform the District on PARCC Exam
WASHINGTON – The PARCC scores released today show that Thurgood Marshall Academy (TMA) students continue to significantly outperform city averages and the school remains one of the best high schools in the District of Columbia.
PARCC is a Common Core aligned assessment of K-12 students in English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics. The new assessment replaced the DC CAS in reading, composition and mathematics last year. Because it is more rigorous and presents a fuller picture of student learning, it is considered to be a better indicator of college and career readiness for students. Results are scored on a level of 1 to 5; a Level 3 indicates that students are “approaching” readiness, while a Level 4 indicates “attainment.”
TMA’s tenth graders participated in the Geometry and ELA II exams. In ELA, 56.6% earned Level 4 or higher and 77.1% of students earned a Level 3 or higher, outperforming the citywide averages of 25% (at or above Level 4) and 42% (at or above Level 3). In Geometry, 13.1% earned Level 4 and 59.5% of students earned a Level 3 or higher, outperforming the citywide averages of 10% (at or above Level 4) and 34% (at or above Level 3). Additionally, more than 58% of students labeled as “economically disadvantaged” scored at or above a 4 in ELA, as compared with the city average of 16.5%.
“We are truly proud of our students, our teachers, and our staff. This is a testament to all of their hard work,” said Richard Pohlman, TMA’s Interim Executive Director. “While the test indicates that a great number of our students are on track to graduate college ready, our staff and faculty continue to focus on ensuring that all of our students have the tools necessary to succeed in college and beyond.”
When the District announced the transition to PARCC in 2011, TMA took a number of steps to prepare, including aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessments with the new, more rigorous Common Core standards. “Our leadership, faculty, and staff have worked to revise our curriculum to meet the demands of the common core state standards,” said Kena Allison, the school’s Interim Head of School who has also served as a TMA science teacher and instructional coach for several years. “We continue to work diligently to make sure our students are ready for the rigors of a college education.”
PARCC 2015 Test Results
More information about PARCC can be found at www.osse.dc.gov/parcc.
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About Thurgood Marshall Academy: Founded in 2001, Thurgood Marshall Academy’s mission is to prepare students to succeed in college and actively engage in our democratic society. Thurgood Marshall Academy is an open enrollment public charter high school in Ward 8’s Anacostia. It is one of the highest performing non-selective high schools in the District and serves 400 students. The school upholds Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall’s legacy of equal opportunity through its commitment to providing an excellent education for all students.