Literacy Assessment
Think back to your elementary, middle, and high school days. Do you remember having to take big tests one or two times a year? Do you remember being put in a room with other students in your grade based on your last name? While not everyone has taken standardized tests since the No Child Left Behind Act came into effect, we all have experience with testing. With so many high stakes tests now, it is time to examine what our nation’s children are actually learning in the classroom. Let’s examine the testing used for literacy in an elementary classroom.
First, we need some background on No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The No Child Left Behind Act was created in 2001 by President George W. Bush as a way to improve poor performing schools. The purpose of this act is to have the government be involved in education and to get schools to perform better. It was decided that this could happen by determining the Title I funds schools will receive based on how well students meet high standards. NCLB is also supposed to provide schools that don’t meet the standards with special assistance. The tests that are used for NCLB are given once a year in third grade through 8th grade. Disadvantaged children must make yearly progress. This progress is defined by the government. NCLB includes a test for literacy to ensure that students are able to read by the third grade. There is also a proposal for higher quality training for teachers to improve teacher quality.
In Indiana, the assessment used for grades 3–8 is known as the ISTEP (Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress). ISTEP tests student knowledge of math, English/reading, science, and social studies. The test differs per grade, but all versions are based on the Indiana Academic Standards. Based on information from the Indiana Department of Education website the ISTEP was created in 1987 and administered the next year. It was given to grades 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, and 9. In 1995, ISTEP became known as ISTEP+. It was also changed to only be given to grades 3, 6, 8, and 10. In 2002, following the instillation of NCLB, the ISTEP+ was changed to reflect the new standards. In 2003, it was changed to include grades 3–8, as well as grade 10. The test stopped being given to 10th grade in 2008. The ISTEP+ consists of two parts. The first part is given in March and includes open ended questions. The second part is given in April or May and consists of multiple choice questions. This is how the test will be given beginning in 2015. Before this, the test was given all at once over the course of a week. The test was also given twice a year, in October and again in March.
The “Reading First” initiative can be seen in Indiana by the use of IREAD, a reading assessment. There are different versions of IREAD: IREAD-K, IREAD-1, IREAD-2, for grades kindergarten through 2nd, respectively. The test is given to determine if students are prepared for the third grade. This assessment also allows for teachers to make sure that they are giving appropriate instruction to their students for reading through assessments. This test is high stakes because it determines if students are ready to move on to the third grade. For the 2014–2015 school year, there is now an assessment known as the IREAD-3. The purpose of this assessment is “to measure foundational reading standards through grade three.” It is a summative assessment that was created to evaluate the reading skills of students who were in third grade as of spring 2012 to ensure that they have the skills necessary for the fourth grade. IREAD-3 consists of three testing sessions, which only involve multiple choice questions. There is one assessment book for each child. There is a three day period to give the assessment. The assessment is based on the Indiana Academic Standards, more specifically on the foundational reading skills through third grade. The test is given in the spring. Any student who does not pass the test in the spring is able to retake it in the summer. Students who do not pass either session, will have to repeat the third grade. Local schools are required to provide any students who have to repeat the third grade with reading/literacy instruction to help them with what they are struggling. There is also a Good Cause Exemption that can be applied to certain students who do not pass the IREAD-3.
There is pressure on teachers to make sure that their students pass the IREAD. So how do teachers know if their students are on track for passing these assessments? This requires the use of assessments that are only meant for teachers. These types of assessments require a teacher to listen to and observe students read. The teacher is able to determine the student’s skills in word decoding, fluency, and comprehension. Based on the information gathered, teachers are able to determine what they need to give whole class instruction on and individual instruction on. Teachers are able to use their information to decide how to make small strategy groups to work on literacy elements. All of this leads to constant assessment for literacy. There is never a time when teachers have no idea how their students are doing with reading.
So be kind to your children’s teachers. If you are worried about how your child will do on the IREAD, discuss it with their teacher. Chances are, the teacher already has a plan. You can help if you just ask how!
Below is an example of an email from a parent to a teacher concerning the IREAD.
Below is a poem that a student wrote about testing.
Sources
Bovaird, J. A, Geisinger, K. F., & Buckendahl, C. W. (2011). High-stakes testing in education: science and practice in K-12 settings. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Dreher, K. (2012). Tests, testing times and literacy teaching. Australian Journal Of Language And Literacy, (3), 334.
Indiana Department of Education. Office of Student Assessment. http://www.doe.in.gov/assessment
