The results are in from the new PARCC assessments, and on Thursday Rochester School Committee members learned that their students fared well.

“So many schools saw test scores drop using PARCC,” Assistant Superintendent Dr. Elise Frangos said. “For our kids, it seems like with this greater challenge they’ve risen to it, which is really delightful.”

Tri-town schools piloted PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) last year. At the time, it appeared the state might adopt the new assessment, and after two decades, leave behind MCAS.

Administrators hoped familiarizing students with PARCC would better prepare them if it became the standard assessment.

PARCC is considered to be a superior evaluation of critical and analytical thinking. Unlike MCAS, PARCC is a timed test and can be administered on computers.

Familiarizing students, especially young third graders, with the tech aspect was part of the faculty's learning curve.

Committee member Sharon Hartley praised teachers and administrators for recognizing that.

“The kids had the tools they needed to take those tests,” she said. “That’s a significant factor for us. We had administrators ready to take on the challenge.”

Students in grades three through six took PARCC last year, and Principal Derek Medeiros said the scores were majorly rated as “meets or exceeds expectations.”

He said faculty members will examine new methods to raise science scores – an area in need of improvement.

Moving forward, PARCC will not be administered, but students will benefit from the experience, said Superintendent Doug White.

In November, the state Board of Education voted to develop a new exam. Known as MCAS 2.0, it will include elements from both tests.

White said the state plans to have students take that test completely online by 2019.

“I think we may be in a better position because our students have had more exposure to [electronic] devices than they have in the past,” White said.

Individual student PARCC test scores will be released to parents next week.