From Atholton Elementary:

Maryland begins full implementation of the new Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) state assessments in reading and math for grades 3, 4 and 5 this March.  Please see the dates on our calendar so you are aware of the days your child will be testing. Please don’t schedule appointments in the morning on these dates. All students are required to take this assessment so it is very important that your child be at school to take the test.

From MSDE (Maryland State Department of Education):

MSDE’s PARCC 30-Day Countdown launched on Monday, February 2nd. Testing for the new PARCC exams begin for most Maryland students in grades 3 through high school in early March 2015. As schools begin gearing up for the tests, MSDE is launching an intensive, month-long campaign aimed at helping parents become more familiar with PARCC and what to expect. Beginning on February 2nd, new PARCC resources and information will be released daily via MSDE’s Facebook and Twitter feeds, and on MSDE’s new Prepare for PARCC webpage – where you will find our best resources for parents, including a new video message from Dr. Lowery.