In recent years, Avicenna Academy has given two standardized tests: the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP+) and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). ISTEP+ is given to students in grades 3 and up while ITBS is given to students in kindergarten and up.
ISTEP+ subject area tests are as follows:
Grade 3: English Language Arts (ELA) & Mathematics (M)
Grade 4: ELA, Math, Science (S)
Grade 5: ELA, M, Social Studies (SS)
Grade 6: ELA, M, S
Grade 7: ELA, M, SS
ITBS subject area tests are as follows:
Kindergarten: Reading (R), Language (L), & Math (M)
Grades 1+: R, L, M, Social Studies (SS) and Science (S)
These two tests are assessing similar subject areas, however they are not assessing the same set of standards. That is, the specific topics they cover in the assessments are different. Specifically, ISTEP+ has tested Indiana state standards while ITSB has tested national standards. Indiana's state educational standards are well-known for their quality, so Avicenna has adopted the state, not national, standards. Since Avicenna Academy teaches Indiana state standards, the ISTEP+ scores are much more representative of our students' achievement.
On a related note, Indiana standards are changing to adapt to the new CORE curriculum that is being adopted by most of the states in our country. This new CORE curriculum would make it easier on students who must move between states. Rather than Indiana sacrificing some of the quality of its standards, Indiana is one of a handful of states who have been invited to participate in the creation of the CORE curriculum, thus bringing the nation up to our standards. This is a very exciting time in our nation's educational history.
As Avicenna adopts Indiana's curriculum maps and schedules, ISTEP+ will be adapting to the new CORE curriculum as it becomes available. Therefore, our students will only be taking the ISTEP+ exam this year. I feel that the ITSB is not an accurate assessment of our students' abilities as they are testing a curriculum that we are not following.
If you have any questions regarding curriculum, assessments, or standards, please address them to me at:
ms.arceo.avicenna@gmail.com or call me on my cell phone.
Thank you.
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