ISAT Open Thread: How Are They Going?

This is ISAT week for most CPS schools, during which state tests that affect school ratings and parent perceptions and all sorts of other things are administered.  Usually, it's sort of exciting, and sort of boring.  Some schools go all out.  Some just go through the motions.  How's it going at your school / in your class / for your child?  We want to know. 

Comments

If the school is poor-performing, these are the last two weeks of school. Nothing before test prep is important and nothing after ISAT is important. Let's start reviewing for next year's test with ISAT Coach.

We were going to start testing today but someone let off a stink bomb in the boys bathroom in the morning. Our principal overreacted and canceled testing for the day.

[Alexander]

some ISBE links for more information -- undated letters about errors, etc.

http://research.cps.k12.il.us/cps/accountweb/Assessment

and

http://www.isbe.net/assessment/htmls/listserv.htm

[Student Teacher]

Is it normal for schools to test the students for a week and a half? I'm doing my student teaching at a school on the northside and we test from 9:30am-11am. Only ONE test is given and the students basically sit and read for a half an hour (until 11am). It seems so ridiculous to strrrrrrrrretch testing out when the time that they are given isn't being used to the capacity. This school could probably be finished with testing in a week if they used their testing time wisely.
Also, teachers at this school are being written up left and right for petty things involving the test (e.g., a corner of a ruler was ripped off and the "test administrator" wanted to know where the corner of the ruler was. The teacher didn't know and was written up. I highly doubt the student did anything to cheat with this corner. So petty). Is this normal as well?

[willie g]

how long have you been observing/student teaching in cps? not long enough perhaps to realize that 'normal' isn't a word easily applied to most cps schools.

[Student Teacher]

I've been at this school for observations/student teaching since the beginning of the school year. I have been at 3 other schools during my "college career." I grew up in Indiana (northwest-45 minutes away from Chicago) and never remember spending WEEKS doing state tests. I realize/understand that "normal" isn't a word easily applied to SOME CPS schools but the time spent on testing at the school I'm at is obscene.

[willie g]

i wasn't questioning your background. merely stating that eventually, you will notice that at all but the top magnet schools (which are run like other 'good' schools around the country) the practices at cps defy logic.

when we hear endlessly about high stakes testing, it isn't the same kind of thing in schools that will pass with no trouble. They just teach, and for the most part, that is enough preparation. It is only in schools that are desperate for a miracle to show that there is actually some learning going on that the level approaches that madness that you are observing.

i'm at the end of my rope with cps. unless you are going to teach at a school that you are really comfortable with, i wouldn't advise anyone to do it. Add to that the fact that if you teach in cps long enough, you will label yourself out of a chance of a job at a good school.

Where are the scores?

I want to know why this year the 3rd grade was allowed accomodations if they had an IEP like caluculators and time table charts, but no one seems to be clear on how to administer the test correctly?

That's unfortunate Willie G. I have been toying with the idea of going back to school to become a teacher, specifically for CPS.

That's unfortunate Willie G. I have been toying with the idea of going back to school to become a teacher, specifically for CPS.

CPS has great schools. Yes, some schools both in CPS and in suburbs, other states, takes the tests in 1-2 days. There are pros and cons of both. The negative aspects of taking tests all in 1-2 days is kids get tired of testing. Breaking it up over a period of a week and a half allows the kids a break.

As for the write ups of minor infractions, sounds like the test administrator needs some meds. I've been at 3 schools in CPS, counting student teaching, and never encountered that.

Don't listen to the cynics. CPS needs a lot of work, but then find one major city whose schools don't need drastic improvement.

Where are the scores?

[George Schmidt]

Adding to "Where are the scores?"

I went through CPS, ISBE, Sun-Times and Tribune. The papers are giving the "top 50" and stuff like that, but no complete scores, state or city. If the scores were available to give them completely enough for a "Top 50" media event, why not the complete list?

Where are the scores, all the scores, and nothing but the scores?

The second session of the seventh grade reading test has an obvious error, but no one was given prior notice. Why? I continue to be amazed by the incompetency of the ISBE.

[Son of Vallas]

"Don't listen to the cynics. CPS needs a lot of work, but then find one major city whose schools don't need drastic improvement."

I just wanted to re-post that from 11:23 in case anyone missed it. You got that, you whiney unionized teachers? Noone's listening to you. It just needs a lot of work. It doesn't need your whining about how the "work" that is being done is making things worse, is serving corrupt contractors' more than the kids, and so on and so forth. Just let the folks downtown do their "work" for chrissakes and stop worrying about whether it is helpful work or destructive work.

[Alexander]

keep it on topic, folks -- how the ISATs are going this week -- and go somewhere else to exchange personal attacks.

[Kugler]

Where are the scores?

Is this like the Olympics: we do not need no money(before election), well now we need $500,000 insurance and $200,000 start up (after election). Deception has become the norm for politics. The sad thing is that the education of our children has been used and manipulated to profit a few well connected individuals. Just take for example these tests we are talking about $$$$.

Alexander can we now call standardized testing a cottage industry since we do not produce steel, radios, or TV's? Who has a minor in econ?

Where are the scores?

[McGreal]

If you go to the Sun-Times website, you will find complete ISAT and PSAE scores by counties.

This site has Cook's scores:

http://www.suntimes.com/pcds/html/stng/hs/isat/cook.html

The scores or the report cards have been on the ISBE site since 10 am Tuesday.

http://webprod.isbe.net/ereportcard/publicsite/getProfileSearchCriteria.aspx

[Kugler]

Thanks!

Where on ISBE in the assessment section?

Sorry, I need direction, I am of course a public school teacher.

Do not go outside the little circles!

[Kugler]

Got it!

[Kathy Broderick]

On Tuesday, the Daily Herald ran ISAT scores by school district for Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane, Will, McHenry counties. They also included ACT rankings, PSAE scores, average salary for administrators, average salary for teachers, and average spending per pupil (in that 6-county area).

[Kathy Broderick]

The newspaper industry is in flux. I think individual school scores will only be posted online in the future.