Spring 2009 ISTEP+ results released

Confession: I love fooling around with test score data--something I carry with me from my first professional job. I can spend a long time looking at numbers, percentages, comparisons, and all the ways these data are sliced and diced. So when new test scores come out, I usually spend some time looking them over.

The ISTEP+, Indiana's state test for students in grades 3-8, was changed last year, with the new spring-testing format launched (in two parts) in March and April. There were widespread anecdotal reports that these tests were much harder than the previous tests, but the Indiana Dept. of Education stands behind the tests as a fair measure after examining them further.

Still and all, they're only one measuring stick for looking at school quality. Not surprisingly, some of the highest test scores (ISTEP+, SAT, you name it) consistently come from some of the most affluent communities--like our neighbors in Hamilton and Hendricks counties, and also Zionsville here in Boone County.

Because of the new format and test window it's hard to compare these new scores to previous testing. But we can get a snapshot of how the Lebanon schools did compared to the state.

Here's a little information on the percentage of students to pass (or pass plus) both the English/language arts and the math sections of the test, in Lebanon and statewide:

grade	LCSC	Indiana
3	73	65
4	77	62
5	74	64
6	64	62
7	70	58
8	63	57

If you are also a testing data geek, here's a handy link to the Indianapolis Star database of this information, where you can get much more detail:
http://www.indystar.com/data/education/ISTEP.shtml

And the Indiana Dept. of Education link for an even more data, which can be a little unwieldy but interesting for those with the inclination:
http://www.doe.in.gov/istep/2009/

I believe at the board's regular meeting in October we can look for a report from Dr. Taylor on these new test results, and what they mean going forward.