MCAS and PARCC scores similarly predict which students need remedial coursework in college¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 2 studies · 2 associational r? · q2
Currency · newest study 2015 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 2 of 2 entries) · not reviewed by a person · overdue for a recheck since 2018: tool and model accuracy changes quickly

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Scores on both MCAS and PARCC provide similarly strong predictions of which students will need remedial coursework in college. → Ira Nichols-Barrer 2015

q2 i? Scores on both tests predict college remedial course placement with similar strength. → Erin Dillon 2015

Evidence¶

Ira Nichols-Barrer 2015¶

Ira Nichols-Barrer, Kate Place, Erin Dillon, Brian Gill. (2015). For Massachusetts Students, PARCC and MCAS Exams Comparable in Predicting College Outcomes (In Focus Brief). Washington, DC: Mathematica Policy Research. https://www.mathematica.org/publications/in-focus-for-massachusetts-students-parcc-and-mcas-exams-comparable-in-predicting-college-outcomes

q2 · i? · associational · r?

The study compared how high school PARCC and MCAS exams predict placement in remedial courses, reporting that both provide "similarly strong predictions about which students need remedial coursework in college." No statistic is printed in the brief.

"Scores on both the MCAS and PARCC provide similarly strong predictions about which students need remedial coursework in college."

Erin Dillon 2015¶

Erin Dillon, Ira Nichols-Barrer, Brian Gill, Kate Place. (2015). Policy Brief: Calibrating Performance Standards Across State Lines: How PARCC Predicts College Readiness. Washington, DC: Mathematica Policy Research. https://www.mathematica.org/publications/policy-brief-calibrating-performance-standards-across-state-lines-how-parcc-predicts-college

q2 · i? · associational · r?

Key findings statement from the policy brief comparing MCAS and PARCC as predictors of placement in remedial college coursework; the brief reports "similarly strong predictions" without printing statistics or effect sizes.

"Scores on both the MCAS and PARCC provide similarly strong predictions about which students need remedial coursework in college."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Both MCAS and PARCC assessment scores predict college readiness, with similar validity in predicting college grades — related
• PARCC sets a higher performance standard in mathematics than MCAS, while both exams predict college performance comparably — related
• PARCC and MCAS scores show similar validity for predicting college grades — related
• In math, students meeting the PARCC college-ready standard are less likely to need remediation than students meeting the MCAS proficient standard — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• In mathematics, students meeting the PARCC college-ready standard are less likely to need remediation than students meeting the MCAS proficient standard; in English language arts the standards are not statistically distinguishable — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• In math, students meeting the PARCC college-ready standard are less likely to need remediation than students meeting the MCAS proficient standard; in ELA the standards are not statistically distinguishable — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• The study is the first to examine whether PARCC assessments identify students who are ready for college, and it was commissioned to inform Massachusetts's decision between MCAS and PARCC — related
• PARCC and MCAS scores show similar validity in predicting college grades for Massachusetts students — related
• In math, the PARCC college-ready standard predicts higher college performance than the MCAS proficient standard, while in ELA the standards are similar — related
• The study is the first to examine whether PARCC assessments identify students who are ready for college — related
• The multiple-choice placement test component and high school GPA similarly predicted passing credit-bearing ELA courses, while the writing component did not predict any outcomes — related
• In math, meeting the PARCC college-readiness standard predicts higher college performance than meeting the MCAS proficiency standard — related