Wawasee Concerned About Test Results
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE - Wawasee administrators are concerned about the applied skills testing results on this year's ISTEP+.
In this first year of applied skills testing, 46 percent of Wawasee eighth- and 10th-graders did not pass language arts, math or both, according to superintendent Mark Stock. Beginning next year, seniors who fail their test - the Gateway Exam - will not be allowed to graduate.
Having identified the at-risk students, Stock believes the corporation can help many with remediation and tutoring. Even so, he projected 25 percent of this year's 10th-graders would be at risk of not receiving a diploma.
Stock told the school board Tuesday that a student first takes the test in 10th grade. If he passes all sections, he does not have to take it again. If he fails, he has five more chances to pass before graduation. Only the sections a student fails must be taken again.
The ISTEP+ is a combination of multiple choice questions and applied skills. Stock said applied skills testing requires students to take their knowledge and use it "in a problem-solving way." For example, they might need to figure out how much carpet is needed for a certain size room.
Such skills are important for students to have, and not just to make good grades. "Society expects all kids to graduate from high school ready for some skill, or ready for the next adventure before them," Stock said.
He said information was not available on how other Indiana schools rated in applied skills testing, "but it doesn't matter ... 46 percent of our kids don't have the skills we'd like them to have."
He said maybe students weren't serious when they took the test because there had never been ramifications before. "We'll find out over the next few years," he said.
The responsibility for improving scores must begin in kindergarten or first grade, he said. "We have a lot of work to do ... it's hard to figure out even where to start, but we'll take it in small steps."
In other business:
• A school makeup day has been scheduled for March 22, a Saturday. Makeup days are planned into the school year in case of poor weather, but Stock said the agreement is that when the scheduled makeup days are all used, students will have to attend class on a Saturday if an extra makeup day is needed.
Stock said he is giving plenty of notice so students with jobs and their employers can make arrangements. Students who miss the Saturday makeup day will not be excused.
• The board accepted a request from the Wawasee Community Education Association to initiate the collective bargaining process. Stock said this is the year that salary, benefits and all other items are open for discussion.
The school board will meet in executive session at 5 p.m. Feb. 25. [[In-content Ad]]
SYRACUSE - Wawasee administrators are concerned about the applied skills testing results on this year's ISTEP+.
In this first year of applied skills testing, 46 percent of Wawasee eighth- and 10th-graders did not pass language arts, math or both, according to superintendent Mark Stock. Beginning next year, seniors who fail their test - the Gateway Exam - will not be allowed to graduate.
Having identified the at-risk students, Stock believes the corporation can help many with remediation and tutoring. Even so, he projected 25 percent of this year's 10th-graders would be at risk of not receiving a diploma.
Stock told the school board Tuesday that a student first takes the test in 10th grade. If he passes all sections, he does not have to take it again. If he fails, he has five more chances to pass before graduation. Only the sections a student fails must be taken again.
The ISTEP+ is a combination of multiple choice questions and applied skills. Stock said applied skills testing requires students to take their knowledge and use it "in a problem-solving way." For example, they might need to figure out how much carpet is needed for a certain size room.
Such skills are important for students to have, and not just to make good grades. "Society expects all kids to graduate from high school ready for some skill, or ready for the next adventure before them," Stock said.
He said information was not available on how other Indiana schools rated in applied skills testing, "but it doesn't matter ... 46 percent of our kids don't have the skills we'd like them to have."
He said maybe students weren't serious when they took the test because there had never been ramifications before. "We'll find out over the next few years," he said.
The responsibility for improving scores must begin in kindergarten or first grade, he said. "We have a lot of work to do ... it's hard to figure out even where to start, but we'll take it in small steps."
In other business:
• A school makeup day has been scheduled for March 22, a Saturday. Makeup days are planned into the school year in case of poor weather, but Stock said the agreement is that when the scheduled makeup days are all used, students will have to attend class on a Saturday if an extra makeup day is needed.
Stock said he is giving plenty of notice so students with jobs and their employers can make arrangements. Students who miss the Saturday makeup day will not be excused.
• The board accepted a request from the Wawasee Community Education Association to initiate the collective bargaining process. Stock said this is the year that salary, benefits and all other items are open for discussion.
The school board will meet in executive session at 5 p.m. Feb. 25. [[In-content Ad]]