Students begin ISTEP testing after controversial year

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – IPS students in 3rd through 8th grades and those in 10th grade will begin taking the first part of the ISTEP exam on Monday. The window for part one of the test ends on March 11.

Part one of ISTEP focuses on applied skills. Students will take the test using either pencil and paper or online.

Last year, just over half of students who took the exam passed both the Math and English Language Arts sections. Sixty-one percent passed only the math portion while just over 67 percent passed only English Language Arts. The scores, which were released last month, were the worst the state had seen in five years.

It’s said to be impossible to compare the 2015 ISTEP scores to previous years because the test was revised and said to be more rigorous.

Many school districts complained about the ISTEP exam because of technical issues with the online version. Educators also complained of the test being used to determine school grades and teacher performance pay.

In January, Gov. Mike Pence signed two bills. One of the bills prevents pay cuts for teachers due to the low test scores. The other bill restricts a drop in a school’s “A through F” letter grade. The bills have not stopped criticism over ISTEP.

Lawmakers are looking to replace the exam by 2017 as a result of problems with the 2015 test. A measure advancing in the legislature would create a committee to study what should come next.

The window for part two of the ISTEP exam opens on April 18 and closes on May 6.