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The recent release of state-mandated test scores has led to questions related to this level of testing. It is important for our Washington Township community to understand the changes in state-mandated testing that have occurred over the past few years and how to properly interpret the data.
In 2019, Indiana schools switched from the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP+) standardized test to the Indiana Learning Evaluation Assessment Readiness Network (ILEARN). The change from ISTEP+ to ILEARN makes it impossible to compare pass rates between testing years and nullifies any linear comparison of student proficiency (how many students passed the test). Some may try to use ISTEP+ and ILEARN synonymously to qualify the success of a school district. However, they are completely different assessments and should not be compared as an indication of improved student performance year-over-year.
HOW IS ILEARN DIFFERENT?
ILEARN is an on-grade level computer adaptive test. A computer adaptive test presents questions to students with varying difficulty levels based on whether or not the student answered the previous question correctly. ISTEP+ was not a computer adaptive test. ILEARN assesses all Indiana Academic Standards, including content literacy and media literacy, on the English Language Arts assessments, and process standards on the math assessments. ISTEP+ did not assess these same standards. Thus, each test is measuring different sets of acquired learning strands.
HOW DID THE PANDEMIC AFFECT ILEARN?
All Washington Township students moved to virtual learning in the last quarter of the 2019-2020 school year. During the 2020-2021school year, students participated in various educational formats , including virtual, in-person, or a hybrid of the two (at the secondary level). Additionally, during the 2020-2021 school year, several hundred students were quarantined due to exposure to COVID, resulting in a significant number of days out of school. The two school years between the 2019 administration of ILEARN and the 2021 administration of ILEARN were filled with challenges and were not typical instructional years for our students.
HOW MUCH IMPORTANCE SHOULD BE PLACED ON STANDARDIZED TESTS?
When evaluating a student’s performance, It is important to take a holistic view of a students’ academic journey including SAT scores, ACT scores, grade point averages, classes, diploma tracks, AP participation, electives, extracurriculars, and more. The same goes for district performance. While ILEARN scores provide important data, they should not be the sole determinant in analyzing the success of a school system or individual students. Districts must incorporate individuals’ and schools’ NWEA scores, IREAD and WIDA results, graduation rates, rigorous course offerings, and expanded learning opportunities for all students.
WHAT CAN BE LEARNED FROM THESE RESULTS?
The transition from ISTEP+ to ILEARN, along with the effects of the pandemic, produced low test scores across the state. It is helpful and insightful to analyze the data compared to others in similarly-sized districts statewide. From the 2016-2017 to 2020-2021 school years, including both ISTEP and ILEARN, Washington Township Schools ranked second in the percentage of students passing both the English/Language Arts and math tests compared to 10 other similar-size and similar-demographic districts.
EQUITABLE ACHIEVEMENT
Washington Township Schools is committed to advancing equitable achievement while closing the achievement gap. We recognize the systemic nature of racial inequities in student outcomes that exist across the country and within our school district, which has prompted our vision for teaching and learning known as Elevate that supports our work to improve educational environments. Our District Strategic Plan approved by our locally-elected School Board after considerable community input, demonstrates purposeful strategies to address disparities exhibited within data. We are working diligently to eliminate achievement barriers and opportunity gaps for the 11,000 students served in our school district. It is our mission to create positive learning experiences for all students in partnership with our community. Please review more information about our data and actions steps here.
