This presentation is from MEK Review (mekreview.com) on the PARCC and Common Core changes in New Jersey and New York. This includes sample questions and specifics on how reading, writing, math, and literacy will be affected. Major educational reform is happening right now. Testing and classroom methods will emphasize contextual understanding and critical thinking. MEK Labs helps your child become a skilled and confident critical thinker.

1. Welcome to
Palisades Park, NJ !
Edison, NJ!
www.mekreview.com

2. What is PARCC?
•
PARCC - Partnership for Assessment of
Readiness for College & Careers!
•
CRITICAL THINKING will be primary
emphasis.!
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Students must be able to contextualize,
reason, and argue.!
•
Standardized tests & classroom work will
change dramatically.

3. What is PARCC?
•
Two portions: Performance-Based
Assessment (PBA) and End-of-Year
Assessment (EOY). !
•
4 test were originally proposed, then amended
to administer just 2 tests (pending).!
•
Two eliminated tests are optional components
for states to include through the year.!
•
Will transition to a completely computerbased assessment system.

4. Performance-based
Assessment (PBA)
•
Take place as close to the end of the
school year as possible.!
•
ELA/Literacy - analyze and write about a
text!
•
Math - apply skills, concepts, and
understandings to solve problems

5. End-of-Year !
Assessment (EOY)
•
Taken when 90% of school year is
complete.!
•
ELA/Literacy - reading comprehension!
•
Math - innovative problem-solving

6. How does PARCC affect
Math?
•
Will focus on a variety of problem types to
teach a concept in multiple ways. Students
must master concepts at a deeper level.!
•
Links major topics between grades.
Integrative tasks draw on multiple
standards to ensure students are making
important connections.!
•
Conceptual understanding, procedural
skill, fluency, and application are vital.

7. Math Lab: focus question

8. Math Lab: coherence question

9. Math Lab: rigor question

10. How does PARCC affect
Math?

11. How does PARCC affect
Language Arts?
•
Requires greater critical analysis from
students on all levels.!
•
Texts shift to more “content-rich” pieces.
These have greater value than just testing.!
•
Assessments inform instruction, following
the language of CCSS.

13. 1. Reading Lab!
- Innovative program for comprehension.!
2. Writing Lab!
- Contextualized essay prompts that build basics to expertise.!
3. Literacy Lab!
- Critical Reading and writing for PARCC & CCSS.!
4. Math Lab!
- Arithmetic to Algebra II with speed & accuracy.

14. Why MEK Labs?
•
Critical Thinking: this is the MEK way.!
•
Inside info: on PARCC changes. !
•
1-on-1 attention: all Labs, grades 1-8 !
•
Holistic learning: Reading, Writing,
Math, Literacy…combined.!
•
Scheduling: all in 1 day, or spread over
2 days.

15. After 15 years, Reading’s So Great! is now…
MEK Reading Lab
Independent reading. Instructor guidance.

17. Does your child…
•
skip words when reading?!
•
change words in the text
while reading?!
•
read too fast?!
•
fall asleep while reading?!
•
become easily distracted
while reading?!
•
have difficulty
remembering details?!
•
give up on books?

18. MEK Reading Lab
Available only for Level 1 students.
•
Develop effective reading habits.!
!
•
Boost reading comprehension!
!
•
Increase focus and attention span.!
!
•
Read books level-by-level until grade
proficient.!
!
•
Build confidence in schoolwork and
standardized tests.

19. MEK Reading Lab
Total Time: 60 minutes
30 minutes!
15 minutes!
15 minutes!
Build independent
reading habits.!
1-on-1 guidance with
instructor.!
Immediate feedback
and results.!
!
•
!
•
•
Student reads
Independently from
selected list
!
•
!
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Sessions are planned
by themes such as
cause & effect, main
idea, etc.
Vocab-in-context
activities for each
book
!
Guided reading
with instructor
•
Review vocabulary
and comprehension
•
!
Reading quiz and
vocabulary activity
Receive immediate
feedback on
comprehension

20. MEK Writing Lab
Efficiency. Proficiency. Mastery.

21. Why Writing Lab?
•
All students must be able to
write well-structured, clear
essays and stories.!
•
Expectations increase at each
grade level, in all subjects.!
•
Essays must show well
developed ideas, strong voice,
proper grammar, etc.
Writing clearly is crucial to success in all
subjects, at all levels.

22. Why Writing Lab?
•
Writing Lab remains a necessary foundation at MEK
for student’s success in group classes here and in
all subjects at school.!
•
Tutors challenge students to write clearly and
develop ideas in response to thought-provoking
prompts.
Writing Lab will strengthen skills with
persuasive, narrative, descriptive, and other
assignments, from beginner to advanced
ability at all grade levels.

23. Day 1: Prompt
15 minutes!
Brainstorm with tutor.!
!
•
•
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Attack a prompt - narrative,
expos, persuasive, descriptive,
personal, poetry, etc.
Plan structure
Develop main ideas & support
Day 2: Revision
15 minutes!
Review & revise with tutor.!
!
•
•
Read first essay draft
Guide revision by finding ways
to improve content, structure,
clarity, grammar, etc.
45 minutes!
45 minutes!
Write independently.!
Write final draft.!
!
•
•
!
Draft essay
Use graphic organizers for
productive prewriting
•
•
Consider tutor’s guidance
Write an awesome essay!

24. Example Writing Lab Prompt (PARCC aligned)
Wri$ng'Lab''''''''''''''''''''''' ''
Grade'Level:'Mid;HS!
'''''''''''''''''''''' '
'
'Prompt:''Social'networking!
Persuasive'Essay'
Assignment:'A!recent!survey!of!the!top!500!colleges!found!that!fully!10%!of!admissions!officers!confessed!to!
looking!at!social<networking!sites!to!evaluate!prospec>ve!students.!Of!those,!more!than!a!third!said!that!what!
they!read!online!nega>vely!impacted!their!decision!to!admit;!in!contrast,!only!a!quarter!said!their!view!changed!
for!the!beEer.!While!the!overwhelming!majority!of!the!colleges!have!no!official!policy!regarding!the!reading!of!
social<networking!sites,!they!admit!that!there!is!no!clear!boundary.'
The!dangers!are!plenty,!and!they!are!not!limited!to!disqualifica>on!for!college!admission.!AEorneys!regularly!
use!informa>on!gleaned!on!the!Internet!to!prosecute!criminal!and!civil!suits!against!minors.!In!2007,!a!
vindic>ve!mom!concocted!an!online!hoax!that!drove!her!daughter’s!“ex<best!friend,”!a!13<year<old!girl,!to!
commit!suicide.!With!so!many!poten>al!threats!online,!the!ques>on!becomes,!then,!should!minors!be!allowed!
to!post!personal!internet!content!about!themselves!or!their!friends?'
Consider'both'sides'of'the'issue.'Then,'using'appropriate'evidence,'write'an'essay'in'which'you'take'and'
support'a'posi$on'on'this'topic.'

25. Writing Lab - Graphic Organizer

26. Writing Lab - A Total Transformation

27. MEK Literacy Lab
Read. Analyze. Respond.

28. Why Literacy Lab?
•
All students must be able to understand,
analyze, and write in response to
content-rich texts, across all genres,
fiction and nonfiction.!
•
All school writing assignments depend
on context!
•
Students at all grade levels much show
analysis of main ideas supported with
clear evidence.

29. Literacy Lab: 90 minutes
30 minutes!
Read actively.!
!
•
•
•
Independent reading of grade-level
and difficulty-level appropriate text.
Read actively — annotate!
Answer multiple choice and openended questions about vocabulary,
inference, main idea, tone, etc.
30 minutes!
Write essay.!
!
•
•
•
Draft essay — short response,
expository, persuasive, or narrative.
Write clearly, with proper structure.
Use good grammar, perspective,
and tone + clear support from text.
15 minutes!
15 minutes!
Review reading & plan with tutor.!
Review essay with tutor.!
!
•
•
•
!
Review story to build analysis skills.
Review short answers and multiple
choice.
Plan good structure for essay
response.
•
•
•
•
Read essay together.
Work on content & main ideas.
Strengthen structure & clarity.
Improve grammar & tone.

30. Example Literacy Prompt (PARCC aligned)
Two$Accounts$of$the$First$Thanksgiving!
“Our%harvest%being%go1en%in,%our!governor!sent!four!men!on!fowling,!that!so!we!might!a2er!a!special!manner!
rejoice!together,!a2er!we!had!gathered!the!fruits!of!our!labors;!they!four!in!one!day!killed!as!much!fowl,!as!with!
a!li<le!help!beside,!served!the!Company!almost!a!week,!at!which!>me!amongst!other!Recrea>ons,!we!exercised!
our!Arms,!many!of!the!Indians!coming!amongst!us,!and!amongst!the!rest!their!greatest!king!Massasoit,!with!
some!ninety!men,!whom!for!three!days!we!entertained!and!feasted,!and!they!went!out!and!killed!five!Deer,!
which!they!brought!to!the!Planta>on!and!bestowed!on!our!Governor,!and!upon!the!Captain!and!others.!And!
although!it!be!not!always!so!plen>ful,!as!it!was!at!this!>me!with!us,!yet!by!the!goodness!of!God,!we!are!so!far!
from!want,!that!we!o2en!wish!you!partakers!of!our!plenty."!
!
!
!
!
!"Edward!Winslow,!Mourt’s!Rela5on!
"They%began%now%to%gather%in%the%small%harvest%they!had,%and!to!fit!up!their!houses!and!dwellings!against!wint
er,!being!all!well!recovered!in!health!and!strength!and!had!all!things!in!good!plenty.!For!as!some!were!thus!empl
oyed!in!affairs!abroad,!others!were!exercised!in!fishing,!about!cod!and!bass!and!other!fish,!of!which!they!took!g
ood!store,!of!which!every!family!had!their!por>on.!All!the!summer!there!was!no!want;!and!now!began!to!come!
in!store!of!fowl,!as!winter!approached,!of!which!this!place!did!abound!when!they!came!first!(but!a2erward!decr
eased!by!degrees).!And!besides!waterfowl!there!was!great!store!of!wild!turkeys,!of!which!they!took!many,!besid
es!venison,!etc.!Besides,!they!had!about!a!peck!of!meal!a!week!to!a!person,!or!now!since!harvest,!Indian!corn!to
!that!propor>on.!Which!made!many!a2erwards!write!so!largely!of!their!plenty!here!to!their!friends!in!England,!
which!were!not!feigned!but!true!reports."!
!
!
!
!
!QWilliam!Bradford,!Of!Plymouth!Planta5on!

31. Example Literacy Prompt (PARCC aligned)
1.
Which'statement'best'describes'the'main'idea'of'the'first'passage?'
a.##The#se(lers#are#glad#to#share#what#they#have.#
b.##The#Indians#came#to#visit#the#white#men.#
c.##The#Pilgrims#shot#and#killed#animals.#
d.##The#se(lers#survived#a#harsh#winter.#
2.
Which'sentence'helps'describe'the'main'idea?'
a.##Our#governor#sent#four#men#on#fowling.#
b.##…Massasoit,#with#some#ninety#men,#whom#for#three#days#we#entertained#and#feasted..#
c.##…we#are#so#far#from#want,#that#we#o@en#wish#you#partakers#of#our#plenty#
d.##We#might#a@er#a#special#manner#rejoice#together.#
3.
What'is'the'purpose'of'the'first'sentence'of'the'second'passage:'“They'began'now'to'gather'in'the'small''
harvest'they'had,'and'to'fit'up'their'houses'and'dwellings'against'winter?”'
a.##To#illustrate#that#the#se(lers#are#preparing#for#a#great#feast.#
b.##To#show#that#the#colonists#are#preparing#for#a#severe#change#of#season.#
c.##To#convey#the#challenges#that#the#Pilgrims#faced#in#their#first#year#in#Plymouth.#
d.##To#explain#what#se(lers#did#with#their#crops.###
4.
What'other'sentence'in'the'story'serves'a'similar'purpose?'
a.##Which#made#a@erwards#write#so#largely#of#their#plenty#here#to#their#friends#in#England.
b.##All#the#summer#there#was#no#want.#
c.##Others#exercised#in#fishing…of#which#they#took#great#store.#
d.##We#exercised#our#arms.###
##

32. Example Literacy Prompt (PARCC aligned)
5.
In%the%first%piece,%the%word%“fowling”%most%likely%means:"______________________"
6.
Write%the%sentence%that%helps%the%reader%understand%what%the%word%“fowling”%means.%%
7.
Choose%one%word%that%describes%the%tone%of%speaker%in%the%first%passage.%
a."Excited"
b."Miserable"
c."Grateful""
d."Aggressive"
8.
Write%a%sentence%that%helps%the%reader%infer%the%tone%of%the%first%passage.%%
9.
ESSAY:%%The%second%passage%explains%what%Pilgrim%colonists%did%to%prepare%for%the%winter.%Write%an%original%
story%explaining%how%a%Pilgrim%would%survive%through%winter.%%Use%what%you%learned%about%their%food%and%
hunNng%as%you%explain%how%your%characters%cope%with%harsh%winter%condiNons.%%%%

33. Why Literacy Lab?
•
MEK has always used varied texts and essay prompts
to build strong readers and writers. Now, we center
our Literacy program even more around each reading.!
•
We add hundreds of content-rich texts alone and in
pairs, some with multimedia supplements, plus short
critical response questions and deeper essay
assignments for analytical and narrative writing.
Literacy Lab will strengthen testing skills with
short response questions in PARCC format.
Critical response essay assignments make
strong writers, requiring analysis and support.

34. After 15 years, CompMath is now…
MEK Math Lab
CompMath + Problem Solving Math = NEW Math Lab.

35. Why Math Lab?
•
Arithmetic through Algebra II.!
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Two 1-on-1 sessions (NEW!) for
problem solving, computation, and
word problems.!
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Master objectives with speed and
accuracy.!
•
NOW 90 MINUTES - NEW!
Schoolwork isn’t enough. We’ve expertly
crafted thousands of our own PARCC aligned
word problems.

36. Math Lab: 90 minutes
45 minutes!
15 minutes!
Computational Math.!
Problem Solving Math with tutor.!
!
•
•
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Independent work with difficultylevel appropriate math.
Work with speed and accuracy.
Develop focus and endurance
through extensive practice.
!
•
•
•
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Guided instruction for word problems.
Determine what is given and required
to solve problems.
Translate terms into symbols.
Translate words into algebraic
expressions.
15 minutes!
15 minutes!
Review computational math with
tutor.!
Timed, independent problem
solving.!
!
•
•
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Immediate feedback from tutor.
Review answers and
Set new objectives to strengthen
weaknesses.
!
•
•
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Apply proper order of operations.
Implement guidance of tutor.
Improve problem solving skills.

37. Math Lab: sample questions
Computational Math!
Problem Solving Math!
60 minutes
30 minutes

38. Math Lab: focus question

39. Math Lab: coherence question

40. Math Lab: rigor question

41. 3 Levels of MEK Labs
Most students will work in level 2.

43. Why MEK Labs?
•
1-on-1: all programs!
!
•
Minimum 10 sessions (20 recommended)
proceed to Level 2 (via Mid–term evaluation)!
!
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SCHEDULE: All classes can be taken same
day OR split over two days.!
!
•
All 3 programs together for best results.

45. Thank you!
Palisades Park, NJ !
Edison, NJ!
www.mekreview.com