PURPOSE
The purpose of this web page is to
help parents better understand how to use the available resources to
understand the scoring of the ISTEP as well as help your child better
prepare to take the ISTEP test. The resource available is through the Indiana Department of Education website and the information will be listed as a link that is located to the
left and titled "ISTEP+ InfoCenter". The information provided will be be
sample test questions as well as assessment scores to help you and your
child better understand what the individuals assessing the scores will be
looking for. You, as parents, can play a major role in helping your child as
well as the school improve upon the scores because your child will be
familiar with the questions asked and also familiar with what kind of
responses are more acceptable than others in the "open-ended" portion of the
test. (Open-ended questions on the ISTEP are those questions that are not
multiple choice).
ISTEP
SCORES
The first step in improving scores
is to understand the scores that your child has received on the previous
ISTEP test. (You should have a copy of the results, if you do not have a
copy contact your child's school, ISTEP begins at 3rd grade.) The results
will be broken down into English/Language Arts and Math. The results
will indicate what score the student received in each portion and will also
indicate what the passing score is as well as what the state average. On the
back of the results it will indicate specific areas of the test and how your
child performed. It will also indicate how he/she performed on the
open-ended section. To best benefit your child parents will need to look for
the areas the student did not perform as well and use the ISTEP+
InfoCenter on the Indiana Department of Education's website to work on
those areas that need to be improved.
SAMPLE
QUESTIONS
The Indiana
Department of Education has gone to great lengths to aid the schools as well
as parents in improving ISTEP scores. The Indiana Department of Education
have provided, on this website, sample questions from previous tests that
can be downloaded and then printed to help improve specific areas on the
test. Note that it will take some time to download these sample tests, but
it is in your child's interest to do this in helping them prepare for the
test. It is extremely difficult to go into a test and really not have an
idea how the test will be presented. By downloading these sample questions
it will help the student prepare both what is on the test but also how these
questions will be asked. By clicking on this link ISTEP+
Publications it will take you to an assortment of different grade
levels. Choose the grade-level that will best fit your child's needs. There
are sample questions for Grades 3,4, and 5 and it also provides test books
for grades 3-10. Remember that downloading these sample questions or test
booklets will take some time.
APPLIED
SKILLS ASSESMENT
One of the greatest sources you
have to prepare your child is once again found in the ISTEP+
Publications link found in the Indiana Department of Education website.
In this website you will find the "Applied Skills Assessment" for grades
3-10. This is an exceptional tool for you and your child to use to better
understand how these questions will be assessed. Once again it will take
some time to download but if you look back over the ISTEP+ Student Report,
that was provided to you for the last test given, you can better understand
how the assessment was done. It is from this point you and your child can
work on improving their responses. There are examples of what types of
responses go along with the points offered. If you work with your child, and
use this guide as a tool, and go back through and have your child understand
how they could have received better scores on these questions your child
can increase his/her scores drastically.
FINAL
THOUGHTS
It has been said
that, "It takes a village to raise a child." This means that it takes all of
us, the school, teachers, and parents, to do everything within our power to
meet the needs of the child to see them grow and excel. By taking the time
to do these things at home will insure the success of your child's academic
needs and help them prepare for life ahead. No one ever said that it would
be an easy road but for parents taking the time and effort to prepare their
child for the ISTEP that road becomes a little bit more paved.
Created by Greg Hunt
Kingsbury Elementary School Principal |
