8/28/19
Parent(s) and/or Guardian(s):
Our scores for Indiana’s new statewide assessment, ILEARN, are now available. Pass rates for schools and corporations will be released early next month. We are disappointed by our scores, but we are not discouraged. There were marked and dramatic changes from what we had done in the past, and it was difficult to fully know what to expect this first time giving the new test. The concerns about these scores are so profound that even the head of the Indiana Department of Education is advocating for caution regarding these scores that are low across the board.
The Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Jennifer McCormick stated about these scores:
“When compared to past ISTEP+ scores, the scores for Indiana’s new assessment, ILEARN, indicated lower achievement levels across the state in both English/language arts and mathematics. The combination of the rigors associated with this newly aligned college and career readiness assessment, national normative data, and the defined established performance cuts all contributed to the lower performance levels. While frustrating, performance dips at some level were expected. ILEARN scores will be made public at the September 4 State Board of Education meeting. The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) will advocate for legislative action addressing the negative impact on educators, schools, districts, and communities. In addition, IDOE will continue to advocate for a new, modernized, state-legislated accountability system that is fair, accurate, and transparent.”
Eminence specifically is taking it on the chin – we are transforming our curriculum and instructional practices in important ways. It is quite common to have scores drop for a year or two before a school sees the kind of drastic improvement we are working towards. It is tempting to allow this drop to dissuade the efforts to change, but the experts that are guiding our school improvement are preaching caution. These scores are a floor from which we will build up – and we will learn how to better prepare our students for this new test. We appreciate your support!
Your child’s scores are available in Harmony. To review those scores, log-on to Harmony and scroll down to “Standardized Tests” where you will see links to PDFs for all test scores.
Dustin Adams
Principal
Eminence Elementary School