Are Standardized Tests a Success? S
tandardized tests are ingrained in Iowa school systems. From the Iowa Statewide Assessments of Student Progress (ISASP) which are taken throughout a student’s school career to the ACT most colleges require for admission, these test scores are used to measure the achievements of schools, students and staff across the nation. CRCSD administers two district-wide standardized tests: ISASP and the Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP). ISASP scores are used to see where students stand academically from year to year, while MAP testing tracks growth throughout the school year. These tests provide teachers and administration with information on how they can best help students. “It gives us a talking point with students to try to encourage them to challenge themselves some more. To identify kids who maybe didn’t perform as well, help students
17
who may be challenged in one aspect of learning but not others ...” Jason Kline, Kennedy principal, said. “There is a lot of data that those tests provide that can help us help students perform better.” Students take MAP tests three times a year. They are created to include the curriculum of the language arts, math and science classes the students are currently enrolled in. The similar content of the tests to what is being taught in class, allows teachers to track their students progress and decide what content and skills need to be focused on. “The idea with the MAP [test] is that because it is so tightly linked to the standards you are teaching in class, it should hopefully be able to help teachers make more instructional decisions,” Jessica Johnson, Kennedy asssistant principal, said. ISASPs, on the other hand, are not guaranteed to include the content students are currently learning. A student could have biology-related questions when they have yet to take a biology class. Every year, students take a
