New standardized tests are sending local schools into what Rocky Killion calls a “train wreck waiting to happen.” The West Lafayette Community School Corp. superintendent is concerned about changes to the ISTEP+ test. Information was released last month, and while many educators were unsure of what curriculum students would be tested on, the Indiana Department of Education added a new element — technology. Students will no longer need a yellow No. 2 pencil. The test will be taken on computers. But local administrators are concerned about the time necessary to teach students not only what is on the test but how to take it. It could take six months to walk students through the process, said Scott Hanback, superintendent of Tippecanoe School Corp. Students will have to manipulate data, drag and drop items on the screen, and for the first time, there could be more than one answer to a question. It’s more interactive and involves a deeper level of understanding, said Michelle Walker, director of assessment for the state department. The new test comes with Indiana passing its own academic standards in April. The new test, its proponents say, is not meant to confuse students, but rather to push them into relating content to real-life problems and know how they arrived at their answer. The problem-solving aspect of the test it to make sure students are mindful of the process and able to articulate it. It is a skill that students will need as they become more college- and career-ready, a standard that Indiana introduced in 2010. New academic standards have changed some grade-level expectations. but However, all test content will be on grade level. “The test is more rigorous than what we’re used to, but we will make sure teachers are providing instruction in line with the new test,” Walker said. The IDOE has released instructional and assessment guidance to give teachers tools to use in the classroom. The deparment’s website is filled with professional development links to help teachers prioritize standards for the new test. Practice tests will be available in early spring. Even with resources available, local administrators are concerned that students will not have enough time to prepare for the spring tests. With standards given to teachers this summer, educators are now being asked to also introduce students to the tools for a test that determines teacher evaluations, salary and the A-F grade a school receives from the state department of education. You can’t just push a button and be ready, Killion said. “This is a train wreck waiting to happen,” said Killion, whose peers recently voted him the 2015 superintendent of the year. “This isn’t just a Greater Lafayette issue. This is a state issue. Unless we’re given the time, you’re going to see a lot of school districts throughout the state fare far worse than people have been accustomed to.”
Posted on: Tue, 04 Nov 2014 12:32:57 +0000
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