PAPER THE PARRC?

MARYLAND STUDENTS SCORE BETTER WITH PAPER AND PENCIL: Maryland students who took the PARCC test scored better on paper and pencil exams than they did on computerized tests, especially in English and eighth grade math. Part of the reason for the skewed results: State officials said more high-performing students took the tests on paper rather than online, The Baltimore Sun reports. But the full cause of the skewed results isn't entirely clear. Some state speculated that students who took the math test struggled to understand the "equation editor," for example, which allows students to write out equations digitally. The box for students to provide written answers on the English test was also longer on paper and pencil than it was on the computerized test. The paper and pencil tests could have prompted students to provide longer answers, which generally received higher scores. More: http://bsun.md/1WHiVLi.

- Similar results were seen in other states that took the PARCC test. Roughly 20 percent of students who took the exam on pen and paper last spring scored better on average than students who took the exam via computer, testing officials said earlier this month: http://politico.pro/1KIrvsy.