The time has come. The PARCC consortium has ceased to exist; states have amicably gone their separate ways, and DC is striking out on our own. Our new assessment system is called the DC Comprehensive Assessments of Progress in Education (DC CAPE) to capture the heroism of our students who are growing toward their college and careers. DC CAPE is by DC, for DC.

We are lucky that we have a great foundation. In fact, we have the same testing blueprints to build from, meaning that the student testing experience will remain the same. We will be able to continue to track student learning by comparing to the PARCC assessments in years past, which will be critical as we build back from the COVID-19 pandemic. These assessments have always been high quality and will continue to be.

It was time. The PARCC consortium had a nearly decade-long run and put together great assessments to build from. As the PARCC consortium lost members, we had to build our capacity to take on a lead role in the test development. To use a sports metaphor, we went from starting player to captain to the head coach. The biggest change will be the name and look. DC CAPE assessments will first be administered in spring 2024 and students will see no difference in their test-taking experience, including any needed testing accommodations. We are confident that it will be a smooth transition for everyone. We are looking forward to engaging with educators across DC to develop these great assessments!

In the meantime, we could use help getting the word out! You can find more information on our website.