ISTEP Scores Drop For The Second Year In A Row

The 2016 ISTEP+ scores show the number of students passing the ISTEP+ decreased for the second year in a row.

Fifty-two percent of students passed both the English Language Arts and Math sections of the test. This is compared to 53 percent in 2015.

Fewer students passed just the ELA test, 66 percent this year compared to 67 percent in 2015. Fifty-nine percent of students passed the math section of the test this year, a drop from 61 percent last year.

The Department of Education says the scores dropped these last two years because 2015 was the first year the state administered a new version of the ISTEP that matched new standards. It says students and schools continue to adjust.

The adjustments have not been smooth, and the General Assembly voted last year to get rid of this version of ISTEP and create a new test. The legislation that scrapped  this ISTEP also created a panel of educators, parents and other stakeholders to plan for its replacement. That panel is expected to finalize its recommendations at its final meeting, Nov. 29.

A new test will bring a new adjustment period, so students may continue to score low on the state assessment, whatever form it takes.