ISAT Scoring Changes: Fewer Algonquin, LITH Students Likely to Meet, Exceed Standards
Arbitrary "cut" scores are changing to align ISAT scores with ACT and PARCC assessments. That means students' and schools' performance grades are likely to drop in the categories of English and math.
Don't be surprised if your son or daughter drops from "exceeds standards" to "meets standards" or from "meets" to "below" standards in the upcoming Illinois Standard Achievement Tests.
The Illinois State Board of Education in January approved new cut scores that will help align the ISAT results with those of the Prairie State Achievement Exam — colloquially called the ACT test — given to 11th graders, and establish a foundation for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers exam set to debut in the 2014-15 school year.
In recent weeks, elementary school children throughout the area took the ISATs. The higher expectations of the new ISAT cut scores will mean fewer students are expected to meet or exceed standards.
Statewide, 79 percent of all grade 3 through 8 students scored proficient in reading and 86 percent of students scored proficient in mathematics, according to an ISBE press release.
In 2011-2012, 83.9 percent of District 300 students met or exceeded ISAT standards and that number was nearly unchanged in 2010-2011. For District 47 students, 91.2 percent met or exceeded standards in 2011-2012 while 92.6 percent of District 158 students met or exceeded ISAT standards last year.
"These higher expectations will result in a significant reduction in the number of students who meet and exceed standards," said Illinois Superintendent of Schools Chris Koch in a statement.
The drop in a student's test score "should not be seen as a decrease in student ability, but rather reflects the new, higher standards with which all educators and students are being held accountable," according to a letter from Assistant Superintendent Rachel Kinder posted on Chicago Tribune.
While the initial decline may be discouraging, the "new, higher standards will better inform our teachers and schools, helping to identify those students who need proper supports to reach College and Career Readiness," according to a district board document.
In 2010, Illinois became one of 45 states and the District of Columbia to adopt Common Core Standards for public education. The Common Core Standards are set up as year-by-year guidelines outlining the skills and content students must minimally master at each grade level.
When using the new performance levels to analyze the ISAT data collected in spring 2012, the percentage of students who meet and exceed standards drops to 60 percent for both reading and mathematics. The drop is a result of raising expectations, not a reflection of student or teacher performance, according to the ISBE release.
“Raising expectations is never easy, and the anticipated drop in students’ scores will be significant,” Koch said in the ISBE release. “However, we must seize this opportunity to tap into our children’s full potential and better prepare them at an earlier age to compete for jobs in a global economy. I am confident that our students will rise to the challenge and show continued progress under the new performance levels.”
Editor's note: Patch editor Amanda Luevano contributed to this report.
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Bob
8:11 am on Monday, March 18, 2013
Why do we have a separate ISAT test instead of using ACT scores to measure HS student performance. ISAT only covers english and math. It totally ignores science and history. As a result our students scores in those areas are dropping. Only 29% of HS students are "science ready".
Bruce
9:55 am on Monday, March 18, 2013
This is excellent news! The stricter the scores, the more demand on the teachers to actually teach and to teach what matters. I am all for it.
pete fioresi
11:44 am on Monday, March 18, 2013
this is why the teachers go on strike for more$$$$ & dumb down our kids