MUNCIE— It took seven months for teachers to see how students did on ISTEP this year. It was a slow process that still isn't over. There could still be another rescore.
Test scores are important to many teachers, and not just because ISTEP scores factor into their evaluations. The scores allow them assess where student are, and what they need to progress. So a seven-month wait wasn't helpful. The more typical three- or four-month wait for ISTEP scores isn't ideal.
While waiting, a few local districts have leaned on a different, national test, Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). And they aren't the only ones. According to NWEA spokesperson Jean Fleming, 144 public school districts in Indiana use NWEA.
It's one of the replacements the state would consider should legislators decide to scrap ISTEP.
Students take the hour-long test three times a year on a computer. As they test, the questions adjust to find their level. If they are getting answers wrong, the questions will get easier until the student gets some right, and if they are getting answers right, the questions will get harder until they get some wrong.
Obviously, students don't pass or fail. Immediately afterwards, they get a RIT score, which measures their growth in learning. Teachers can then compare that score with national averages NWEA provides for each grade level.
Within 24 hours, teachers receive more detailed data. They can see specifically where students need more help. Maybe they were struggling with fractions or adding with uncommon denominators. Teachers can look at the entire class or school, too.