Next year, the PARCC assessment will be replaced by the MCAP, short for the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, in an attempt to improve state assessment testing by providing a shorter and more efficient way to test the MD College and Career Ready Standards in Reading, English, and Math, according to the MCAP Update.

The change in assessment reflects the main concern of PARCC– that it takes away from instructional time. PARCC is disruptive, according to Wilde Lake and other Maryland teachers. The English and Math portions totaled seven to nine hours, all of which were taken during the school day.

The new test, according to Carol A. Williamson, will be computer adaptive. This means that the testing software will judge the student’s academic level and adjust the questions as a result, shortening the time of the test, Williamson told The Baltimore Sun.

Because of the quick transition of tests, questions regarding the Bridge Project, the alternative method of receiving the necessary credit if a student did not pass PARCC, have been raised by students. The students who do not pass the PARCC assessment this year will still be held accountable for the Bridge Project, according to Instructional Team Leader Mrs. Read. Next year, there will be a modified version of the Bridge project for the students who do not pass the MCAP.

Over the course of the next few years, the MCAP will be adjusted accordingly.