PTSC Update: ISTEP+ Round 2 – Online

porter-township-schools-logoNext week begins our next installment of the ISTEP+ assessment for grades 3-8 and 10th graders. Following the ISTEP+ window our high school students will jump into ECA testing. Our high school students this year are in a transition year where they have to take ECA and ISTEP+.

But isn't the state transitioning away from the ISTEP+ assessment? Yes, but we still have one more year in this current system (using a new assessment company for this year and next year). While lawmakers have said that they no longer want to use the ISTEP+ assessment, they have yet to decide what comes next.

What is my hope? My hope is for an assessment that measures individual student growth. My hope is that this new assessment does not take long to administer. My hope is that the new assessment model provides for in-the-moment data that actually helps to drive instruction and help close skill gap areas for students. While I understand there needs to be summative data, if it can have summative and formative data in one quick and easy to use solution that would be ideal. On top of that, it is my hope that this can be done without spending the unconscionable about of money that is currently being spent for a system that is not effective.

The purpose of great assessment is to drive instruction. That requires timely feedback based on the individual student's needs and growth. What I will be sharing with anyone who will listen is that this is our time to make state assessment meaningful. But for now, here comes ISTEP+ part 2!