New testing standards for the state of Maryland

Initial scores are in for the recently-implemented testing in Maryland public schools known as PARCC and education officials say the scores for third through eighth graders has set a baseline to work off of,  as the state moves forward.

Among students in grades third through eighth just under 40% are considered ready to move on to the next grade in English  and nearly 30% scored ready in Math.  

Education officials tell 47 ABC that’s around where they expected to fall in the first year because the standards are much more rigorous than the old tests. 

Officials also say these tests do not affect a student’s grades  or have any actual effect on whether they move on to the next grade.

Officials say one of the goals of getting in line with Common Core standards is to have students ready to take credit-bearing classes as soon as they get to college, instead of spending money on remedial classes just to get them up to speed.