Indiana ISTEP 2015 Spring scores were released Wednesday after several months of delays. Statewide scores for the English language arts and math tests are on average 20 points lower than 2014, according to the Indianapolis Star. Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent David Hoffert said that the 2015 test was provided by a new company and that the test is not comparable to recent years. He said that there are no baseline scores to compare data, which has thrown off teachers’ preparation processes. With the results of the tests coming so late this year, Hoffert said, “Our teachers have been amazing at adapting to this new test. I’m very proud of them and our students for taking this on.” The 2016 ISTEP testing will begin in March. WCS received a 72.9 percent passing rate in English language arts and 65.8 percent in math, with passing total of 59.6 percent. A total of 2342 students tested for WCS. Individually, Claypool Elementary School saw a 74.9 percent pass rate in ELA and 71.6 percent math, with a 63.3 percent passing total. Eisenhower Elementary School passed 80.8 percent ELA and 72.4 percent math, with 66.5 percent total. Harrison Elementary School saw 69.2 percent passing ELA and 64.6 percent math, with 55.8 percent total passing. Jefferson Elementary School received a score of 68.8 percent passing ELA and 63.4 percent passing math, with 57.6 percent passing both. Leesburg Elementary School passed 68.4 percent ELA and 64.7 percent math, with 55.7 percent total passing. Lincoln Elementary School saw the highest passing rates in WCS, with 83.2 percent ELA and 85 percent passing math, with a 77.3 percent total. Students at Madison Elementary School passed 76.6 percent ELA and 66.5 percent math, with 62.8 percent passing both. Washington STEM Academy saw 81.4 percent passing ELA and 63.8 percent math, with a 60.5 percent total. Edgewood Middle School received scores of 71.1 percent passing ELA and 62.4 percent math, with 56.1 percent passing both. Lakeview Middle School saw 64.6 percent of students passing ELA and 56.9 percent passing math, with 51.9 percent passing both. Warsaw Christian School students passed 70.9 percent ELA and 67.1 percent math, with a total passing rate of 60.8 percent. Wawasee Community School Corporation tested 888 students in 2015. WCSC passed 62.1 percent of students in ELA and 60.7 percent math, with 50.7 percent passing both. Milford School received passing scores of 62.5 percent ELA and 63.1 percent math, with a 53.6 percent total passing rate. North Webster Elementary School saw a 65.7 percent passing rate in ELA and 56.6 percent math, with 48.5 percent total. Syracuse Elementary School passed 71.8 percent ELA, 56.6 percent math and 61 percent total. Wawasee Middle School students passed 54.6 percent ELA and 56.2 percent math, with a 44.2 percent total. Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. had 541 students test. Of those, 63.3 percent passed ELA, 59.7 percent passed math and 49 percent passed both tests. Akron Elementary School saw the district’s highest ELA scores, with 68.6 percent passing, while 69.5 percent passed math and 57.3 percent passed both. Mentone Elementary received a passing score of 67.6 percent ELA, 71.1 percent math and 59.6 percent total. Tippecanoe Valley Middle School passed 59 percent ELA, 49.8 percent math and 41.7 total. Whitko Community Schools tested the lowest number of students in Kosciusko County with 415, and received the lowest scores with 60.9 percent of students passing ELA, 51.9 percent math and 43.5 percent passing both tests. Pierceton Elementary School passed 73.8 percent of students in ELA, 65.1 percent math and 56.5 percent both. South Whitley Elementary School saw a 64.3 percent passing ELA rate, 64.5 percent math and 55 percent total. Whitko Middle School received a score of 52.9 percent ELA, 39 percent math and 31.4 percent total. According to Indystar.com, Republican legislative leaders and Gov. Mike Pence called for an immediate rescore of the 2015 ISTEP by a third party. Lawmakers are fast-tracking bills to remove any negative effects the test could have on metrics.
