ISAT FAQs

Hello Cougar families!  As we enter ISAT testing, I thought I would blog about some of the common questions about ISATs.

What are ISATs?
ISAT stands for Illinois Standards Achievement Test.  It is a state test that is given to all public school children in grades 3 through 8.  The students are tested on the skills and concepts that are in the Illinois Learning Standards for their grade level.  The purpose of the test is to determine how well the schools are doing in providing appropriate instruction for each grade level. 

What tests are given and how long are they?
In grades 3 and 5, the students take three reading tests and three math tests.  In 4th grade, the students take three reading tests, three math tests, and two science tests.  The testing sessions are all 45 minutes.  All three reading tests have multiple choice questions, and two of them have an additional extended response question.  Two of the math tests have multiple choice questions, one has three additional short response questions, and one test is made up of two extended response questions.  The science tests are both exclusively multiple choice questions.

I heard this is the last year for ISATs.  Is this true?
We will be switching to a new set of standards, called Common Core Standards.  The Common Core Standards are a common set of standards across the nation.  With this change, there will also be a new assessment that will be consistent across the country.  At one point, the plan was to allow districts to pilot the new assessment during the 2012-2013 school year in place of the ISAT.  Unfortunately, the assessment is not yet ready, so we will most likely take the ISATs in 2013.

I have heard about school districts that "teach to the test".  My child has mentioned practicing for the ISAT.  Does that mean our teachers are "teaching to the test"?
The term "teaching to the test" means that teachers teach a curriculum that is narrowed in scope to address only the skills that are most likely on the test.  In addition, students are only assessed in ways that mirror the ISATs so that they become very accustomed to the format of the test.  Our teachers do not do this.  They teach a broad curriculum that includes all of the standards for their grade level along with introduction to the concepts in the standards for future grade levels.  They assess students in a variety of ways throughout the year in order to provide them with the best chance to show what they know in a way that fits their learning style.  When we get close to ISATs, our teachers do provide practice opportunities for the students to take assessments that are like the ISAT.  They do this so that the students develop a level of comfort with the testing style.

What should we do differently during ISAT testing to ensure success for our student?
Prior to ISAT testing, you will often see tips for parents about making sure that students get enough sleep, eat a good breakfast, etc...  These are all good ideas, but our hope is that these things are always happening on school days!  We don't want the students to feel like these weeks are really that much different.  We do not want students to feel stress or pressure.  I like to tell the kids that this is a great time, because it is their time to show what they know!  It's like in sports where you practice and practice, then you get to show what you can do in a game.  This is their game day!!

What if my child gets sick?
We do not want students coming to school sick.  It will not allow them to do their best, and they will infect other students.  If your child is sick, the teachers will work with them to schedule make up tests when they return to school. 

When will we receive results from the ISAT testing?
We will get school wide summary reports in May or June, but you will not get your child's individual reports until next fall.

If you have other questions about ISAT testing, please feel free to ask!  Our staff at Prarieland does a phenomenal job teaching all of our students.  We are always excited to have our students show what they know because we trust in our instruction, in our students' hard work, and in the support and encouragement our students receive at home!

It's a GREAT day to be a Cougar!
Carmen Bergmann

Technology Safety

We are definitely living in a world where children are becoming "tech savvy" at an earlier age.  I have heard from many of our students about ipods, ipads, Kindle Fire, nooks, etc... that they have at home.  Technology is such a great tool and it can be used in such a powerful way for children to learn and communicate.  Unfortunately, it can also provide our children with access to information that is not appropriate, and it can provide the public with information about your child that you do not want shared.

It is very important for you to carefully monitor your children's usage of technology.  It is also important to have conversations with your children about how to be safe when they are online.  Mr. Ford and Mr. Sterrett will spend time during tech time teaching students about internet safety as well.  Here is a website that can serve as a good resource for you as you have these conversations with your children:

http://kids.getnetwise.org/

Let me know if you have questions.
It's a GREAT day to be a Cougar!!

Carmen Bergmann

Happy New Year- My resolution.

Happy New  Year!  I hope everyone had a good break and that you had time to enjoy family and friends.  I  spent some of my break thinking about how fortunate I am to be a part of the Prairieland community and what I can do to maintain the high standards and success that characterizes Prairieland.  My first year was spent getting to know the community and doing a lot of observing and reflecting.  Unfortunately my first year was also spent completing my superintendent's certificate, which was very time-consuming and often stressful.  Now that I have had time to acclimate myself to this wonderful place and now that I am done taking classes, I am very excited to put all of my time and energy into continuing the tradition of excellence that has always been at Prairieland.

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to work with the staff to ensure that we are always doing what is best for the children and families so that our students will be successful for their entire educational careers and into their adult lives.  This is a tall order, but one that is wholeheartedly embraced by the Cougar staff.  We have been challenged recently by budget cuts and increased initiatives relating to assessment and instruction.  Our teachers are learning new approaches to literacy instruction, we are using a different approach to student interventions, and we are greatly increasing our use of data to form instruction and determine student intervention needs.  It has been overwhelming for the teachers, but they have soaked it all up and have done a fantastic job of trying to stay ahead of the game.  Everything we are doing is based on best practice and is intended to benefit all students.  My only fear in all of this is that we will become so consumed with the new initiatives that we will lose the personal connections with students and the need to develop a love of learning by helping students to feel a connection to Prairieland and a desire to be in school.  It is important for us to maintain a balance in all that we do.

In order to do this, our staff is going to spend time re-visiting our vision and core beliefs to ensure that we have a good balance.  We will then print our vision and post it around the building so that we are always on the same page and maintaining a healthy balance in all that we do.

At Prairieland, our families are always an integral part of what we do, and I am amazed by the commitment and dedication that our families constantly demonstrate.  In order to include all of you in this endeavor, I have created a very brief survey so that we can include your thoughts and beliefs in our discussions.  I would really appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to complete the survey (It is VERY short, I promise).  I have set it up so that it can be completed more than once on a computer in case each parent/guardian in the household would like to contribute.

The survey can be found at this link- https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6G7Q58X

Thank you for your time and your thoughts!
It's a GREAT day to be a Cougar!!