School superintendents are embracing the fact that Hoosier legislators, during the current General Assembly, will address shortcomings in the state’s student assessment program.
Scores from the 2015 ISTEP were released Wednesday, showing that schools across the state recorded sharp declines in testing scores from earlier years. However, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz cautioned against comparing the 2015 results against previous years because they were the first state assessment to be based on Indiana’s new, more rigorous college and career-ready standards.
At the same time that the Department of Education released the 2015 scores, Ritz also called for assessment reform.
School leaders are frustrated by circumstances surrounding the latest scores and say schools and teachers simply didn’t have time to transition into the new set of standards.
Phil Storm, assistant superintendent for Mitchell Community Schools, wrote in an email to the Times-Mail, “We did not expect to start the school year in 2014-2015 and find that the state standards that we teach changed just before students walked through the door. To expect that teachers can somehow change what is taught on a moment’s notice is not realistic.”
Ritz, in a DOE news release, said, “After years of legislative changes at both the state and federal level, our schools were asked once again to implement new standards and subject students to a new assessment without time to transition. … My top priority is the educational, social and emotional well-being of Hoosier students. That is why I believe that it is time for Indiana to move away from the costly, lengthy, pass/fail ISTEP assessment. The one-size-fits-all high-stakes approach of the ISTEP needs to end.”
Another issue surrounding ISTEP testing is that scores are used for determining school accountability, resulting in an A-F grading system intended to reflect how effectively a given system is performing. The results also influence teacher ratings, which school systems now are required to assign.
“I will work with the General Assembly to oversee the development of this assessment so we can better serve each individual student’s needs,” Ritz said. “I will recommend action to ensure that each school’s accountability grade is determined by meaningful measures and not just by test scores.”
Casey Brewster, Paoli Community Schools superintendent, pointed to Senate Bill 200, the “hold harmless” bill, which, if passed, would ensure that schools will not be held liable for their A-F accountability grade for the 2014-2015 school year. A story published by TheStatehouseFile.com (a website powered by Franklin College journalism students), reports the bill’s author, Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, believes the change would aid the transition to more challenging academic standards in the future.
Brewster wrote in an email to the Times-Mail, “It’s important to note that the most impactful data when calculating school corporation letter grades are ISTEP results. And, when state leaders, including legislators, do not view the tests or results as valid or fair, significant steps are being considered to diminish the negative impact.”
Storm wrote, “Our ISTEP testing has been broken for some time now, and adding to that frustration is the fact that a broken system is used to grade schools. We would be much better served to eliminate ISTEP testing completely and use tests we already administer to find out what students do know and what they do not know. From there, teachers can help students master the skills they need to be successful. … The ISTEP test just isn’t a helpful tool for students, schools or communities. ISTEP has been a political football, a game that our students, schools and communities need to stop playing.”
Gary Conner, North Lawrence Community Schools superintendent, also pointed to the community as a whole and the impact of what he called “this year’s flawed test.” He wrote, “Many people look to these scores as they consider where to purchase a home or locate a business, so this has far-reaching implications for our communities, as well.”
Conner also focused on considerations that he believes are critical to the legislative discussion about assessment reform.
“I believe teachers are the best evaluators of instruction,” Conner wrote. “I believe blending teacher assessment with state assessments could provide a value-guided plan to determine achievements. … I would encourage the assessment tool to be as simple as possible to maximize effectiveness. If the SAT and ACT can be a predictor of college admission and success, it would appear that a state assessment tool could be generated with a similar format to be predictor of achievement.”
He added, “The students of North Lawrence Community Schools deserve an assessment system that measures their growth and progress throughout the year and a system that allows educators to make timely decisions regarding their unique learning needs.”