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Student testing in Warsaw Community Schools will change next year when the school district drops a national testing company and opts for a more specific testing system.
The Warsaw school board Monday approved a pilot program for the 1997-98 school year using tests developed by the North West Education Association. The NWEA, said assistant school superintendent Dr. Anthony Etienne, uses tests specifically designed for a particular school system's curriculum.
The standardized CTBS test used now is marketed by a national testing company and does not take into account local differences, he said.
WCS teachers will be able to help develop the NWEA's bank of questions and help select questions that apply specifically to local curriculum, he said. The NWEA tests will cost less to administer than the CTBS tests, will focus on student learning instead of comparisons to other school districts, and will allow the schools to track students' progress.
Etienne said Warsaw schools will continue to administer ISTEP tests as required by the state, and will use the NWEA on off-ISTEP years.
The board also approved a recommendation by school superintendent Dr. Lee Harman to dismiss students in schools without air conditioning earlier than other students during heat emergencies. Harman said the bus scheduling was worked out to accommodate all students.
He said parents would be notified before the early dismissals occurred, and that further refinements of the policy would be made over the summer.
The board also approved Etienne's request to ask the state for permission to schedule six student release dates for next year. The release dates are used for staff and program development, and alternate between late arrival and early dismissal.
Tentative dates for 1997-98 are: Sept. 16, Oct. 8, Nov. 5, Feb. 10, March 18 and April 23.
The board also:
• Approved a bid of $141,210 for two new 84-passenger buses.
• Watched a demonstration of the Internet home page for Edgewood Middle School, which was developed by the school's computer club. The club recently won best of show at the state media fair and will compete at the international level.
• Watched a demonstration of Washington Elementary's Odyssey of the Mind team, which won seventh place in state competition.
The school board meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday of each month at the administration building.
