By Robin J. Youngblood, Staff writer
After months of practice and preparation, some Quad-Cities students will
begin taking standardized tests soon.
Third- through fifth-graders and seventh- and eighth-graders are taking the
Illinois Standards Achievement Test. Eleventh-graders will take the Prairie
State Achievement Exam.
Teachers give the tests for about an hour each day for two weeks. Students
are tested on math, reading, writing, science and social studies, depending on
their grade level.
Their scores, to be released this summer, will determine the future of some
schools because the federal No Child Left Behind Act
requires all students to meet state learning standards by 2014.
In the
Four schools in
John Flaherty, Rock Island County Regional assistant superintendent of
schools, said the biggest part of the test is ``trying to encourage all the
students to take it seriously.''
This year is critical for students and some schools, Mr. Flaherty said. A
change in federal law makes these scores part of a student's permanent record.
Some schools also might have to offer students the choice to attend another district
school if scores in their building don't improve.
Continued low scores also could mean placing an outside person at schools to
help write the school improvement plan, offering tutoring to students or having
the state intervene in school operations.
Jay Marino,
``We are not heavily focused on the test,'' he said. ``We are more
interested in providing a more well-rounded education based on the Illinois
Learning Standards. Teaching to the test and teaching to the learning standards
are two different things.
``There's more of an awareness in our district, but
it doesn't necessarily change what we're doing. We have a good plan, and we're
working the plan.''
The district's first testing day is Monday, and some schools have been
making extra preparations. Denkmann Elementary principal Scott McKissick said
students there have taken some sample ISAT tests, and teachers and staff are
telling kids to ``do their best.''
At Washington Junior High, math teacher Susan Neece said she has taught the
learning standards all year and this week is doing an ``intense review'' with
her students by giving sample ISAT math tests.
Grant Intensive Basic Elementary principal Darryl Taylor said his staff is
trying to positively promote the test.
``We tell them that it's an opportunity to show everyone what they're
capable of doing'' and also ``for everyone to see the positive work (they've)
done this year.''
In 2002, 77 percent of Grant fifth-graders met standards in writing, the
fourth-highest percentage of students that met standards in that area. It was
an increase of 38 percentage points from the 2001 test, according to ISAT records.
That level of improvement wasn't seen at any other school, even when many
districts across the state saw writing scores decline.
The district feels positive about the upcoming ISAT scores because of
students' good results on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Third-, sixth- and
eighth-graders took that test in November.
Mr. Marino said sometimes there are correlations between scores on the ITBS
and the ISAT.
``We are hopeful, and we do expect to see academic achievement gains
district-wide,'' he said. ``There is some correlation between the ITBS results
and the ISAT results, and because the ITBS results were positive this year,
we're expecting positive results on the ISAT.''
Staff writer Robin Youngblood can be reached at (309) 786-6441, Ext.
257, or by e-mail at [email protected].