AS SCHOOLS CONTINUE GIVING THE FIRST PORTION OF
ISTEP, ONE ADMINISTRATOR SAYS HE AND HIS TEACHERS
ARE SPENDING MORE TIME TRYING TO KEEP FROM
EXCESSIVELY WORRYING ABOUT THE EXAM. “I HAVE
ABSOLUTELY HAD MORE STUDENTS THIS YEAR EXPRESS TO
ME THEIR CONCERN THAT THE ISTEP IS TOUGH, THAT THEY
DON’T THINK THEY ARE DOING VERY WELL, AND THAT
THEY ARE GOING TO BE RETAINED,” SAID JIM BEVER,
PRINCIPAL OF GREENFIELD INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL IN
HANCOCK COUNTY, WHICH SERVES GRADES 4 – THROUGH –
6. STUDENTS ARE GENERALLY NOT HELD BACK A GRADE IF
THEY DON’T PASS ISTEP, BUT BEAVER BELIEVES SOME
STUDENTS RECALL THE IREAD EXAM GIVEN IN THIRD
GRADE- STUDENTS WHO FAIL TO DEMONSTRATE READING
PROFICIENCY IN THAT EXAM CAN BE HELD BACK,
REGARDLESS OF THEIR GRADES IN OTHER SUBJECTS. THE
ISTEP WAS GIVEN THIS YEAR ONLY DAYS AFTER ITS
LENGTH WAS HURRIEDLY REDUCED FROM A TOTAL OF 12
HOURS TO JUST UNDER 9 HOURS HOURS BY STATE
SUPERINTENDENT GLENDA RITS’S OFFICE, WITH APPROVAL
BY STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY. AS SCHOOLS CONTINUE GIVING THE FIRST
PORTION OF ISTEP, ONE ADMINISTRATOR SAYS HE AND HIS
TEACHERS ARE SPENDING MORE TIME TRYING TO KEEP
FROM EXCESSIVELY WORRYING ABOUT THE EXAM …