Seeking information about standardized tests scheduled this year for students in Grades 2-8 in MCCSC? I posed the following questions to MCCSC administration. The answers to Q1-3 came from Tammy Miller, MCCSC Director of Elementary Education. The answer to Q4 came from Sholonda Trice, Senior Program Manager, Office of Student Assessment, Indiana Department of Education Q1. What is the name and frequency each standardized test that each grade must take? A1. Formerly known as ISTEP, a new state assessment called the Indiana College and Career Readiness Test, will be forthcoming from the IDOE in the spring of 2015. This will be administered in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Acuity is also used. This will be administered in grades 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Acuity is a formative assessment from the IDOE. This assessment provides teachers with information on student progress for both Mathematics and English Language Arts. The information informs instructional decisions for the needs of the students. Acuity is given three times during the school year in the fall, winter, and spring. Acuity is a formative assessment to help inform instruction for each grade level. It is a tool to ensure that students are learning needed skills so that teachers can adjust. MCCSC is using Acuity in 2nd-8th grades as theydid with NWEA. Acuity Readiness is not available from the state for 2nd grade, therefore the 2nd grade will take the Acuity Diagnostic. Q2. Where these do these tests originate? A2: Both Acuity and the Indiana College and Career Readiness state assessment are distributed from the IDOE. The IDOE contracts with vendors to create these assessments. Please contact the IDOE for further information. Q3. For each test, what is its specific academic purpose and what year did it start in MCCSC? A3: Acuity replaced NWEA. This is the first year for Acuity. The ISTEP, now known as the Indiana College and Career Readiness Test, has been in place since 1988. The IDOE can provide further information. Q4. What is MCCSCs policy on opting out of/refusing standardized tests? Please explain its legal foundation. A4: Indiana law neither provides for an opt-out procedure nor recognizes opting out of assessments. Although it is not against the law to refuse to allow a child to participate in assessments, every student attending a public or accredited nonpublic school in Indiana must take the Indiana-wide assessments to graduate or, in the case of IREAD-3, avoid being retained. Furthermore, it is a violation of Indianas compulsory school attendance laws for a parent to refuse to send his or her child to school for the purpose of avoiding tests, including assessments. See IC 20-33-2. iga.in.gov/legislative/laws/2014/ic/titles/020/articles/033/chapters/002/ As with any test, additional consequences for failing to participate in any statewide assessment, and procedures to manage students who refuse to participate, are determined at the local school level. As such, it is important that you reach out to your child’s school corporation to determine if there are any local level consequences for not allowing your child to participate in testing. Lastly, it may also be helpful to check-in with your child’s school to learn more about the assessments the school uses and how the results of the assessments are used. Schools often use results to assist with adjusting instruction so that it better meets the skill gaps that have been identified for students. Of course, your child’s school have much more detail that will be helpful to you.
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 03:16:39 +0000
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