ISTEP-Plus begins today for many students in public and private schools.
The test measures student achievement levels according to the standards adopted more than a decade ago by the State Board of Education.
Batesville grade 3 to 8 students begin testing today, and end on March 13. The multiple choice part, taken online, begins April 29, and concludes May 10. Students begin the applied skills portion of ISTEP-Plus this week, measuring what they have learned in English/language arts and math. Fourth- through sixth-graders are also tested in science, while students in grades five through seven have social studies exams added on. There will also be a multiple choice portion of the test given in late April and early May.
Batesville Supt. Dr. Jim Roberts noted that besides ISTEP+, students in grade 3 also participate in IREAD-3, or Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination 3. This assessment measures foundational reading standards through grade 2 and is based on the Indiana Academic Standards for Reading. They have to pass it to move to grade 4.
The state testing dates for IREAD-3 are Monday, March 18, through Wednesday, March 20. However, due to the Spring Break timeframe for BCSC, a waiver was acquired to test grade 3 students from Monday, March 11, through Wednesday, March 13.
ISTEP scores are a key component in the state’s A-to-F grading system for schools, but there may be a difference as to how the test is applied this year.
State School Superintendent Glenda Ritz has told media outlets she does not like the formula used to determine those grades, and she has said the state will move away from taking over school systems that receive a grade of F for six consecutive years, as is possible under state law. Ritz also favors ending the A-to-F system altogether, an idea discussed by the Legislature this year but apparently on hold for now.
All public school students take ISTEP, although an increasing number of private schools are also giving the exam. Private schools that are part of Indiana’s school voucher program must administer the test, as they are subject to the state’s A-to-F system.
