General ISAT Information

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the ISAT page of the Rhodes website. We hope that you will find this page helpful as we all work together to prepare our students for the ISAT test in March. First, I wanted to provide a few pieces of information regarding ISAT testing. The test starts on Tuesday, March 5th and go until Friday, March 8th. We then have the following week (March 11th-15th) to complete any makeup tests. Also, the ISAT testing grades are 3rd grade-8th grade. They are the only grade levels that will be tested.

On this page, you will find two categories. First, we will list ISAT Tips for Parents. Here we will provide information on things that you can do to help your students prepare for the test, from the very basic self-care tips to the more intense academic supports you can provide. Second, you will find a list of links to other approved websites that will provide practice for your children in preparation for ISAT. It would benefit your child to visit these sites and practice with the games in order to supplement the information they are receiving at school.

As your child's educators, we strive to give your student the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to go on to college and succeed in a career. Illinois schools, including our building, have begun implementing the Common Core State Standards, which outline the skills and content our students must master at each grade level to continue on the path to college and career readiness. These higher, deeper and clearer standards for Math and English Language Arts will ensure that our students leave high school equipped with the proper tools for success. As we focus on preparing students for college and careers, the performance levels of the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) must be changed accordingly.

The state has determined that the current expectations for our students in grades 3-8 are too low and do not give an accurate picture of a student's ability to succeed in college and the workforce. Therefore, the Illinois State Board of Education is raising the bar on the ISAT performance expectations in Math and English Language Arts for elementary and middle school students to bring them into line with the Common Core's more rigorous standards. These higher expectations will cause the number of students who meet and exceed standards to drop significantly. Some students who previously met or exceeded standards will be classified as needing improvement. However, these new expectations do not mean that our students know less than they did before or are less capable than they were in previous years. Instead, ISBE is simply expecting more of students going forward to show their progress toward college and career-readiness benchmarks.

The new performance expectations for the ISAT will provide a more accurate reflection of whether a student is on track for college and the workforce. Our staff will be able to provide the appropriate support and interventions for your student based on the new learning standards at an earlier point in their academic career and thus boost their chances for success beyond high school. The new expectations also pave the way for the state to replace the ISAT tests in Math and English Language Arts with the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessments.

The PARCC exams will align to the Common Core State Standards and provide better information about students' abilities to master the appropriate skills and content benchmarks for college and careers. Unlike the ISAT, which is given once a year, the PARCC tests will be given more than once during the school year. The PARCC exams will provide teachers, parents and students a clearer, more detailed picture of student's strengths and areas that need improvement. The transition to the PARCC tests is scheduled for the 2014-2015 school year. Later this year, the state will provide us with information regarding how our students' 2012 performance levels compare to what is expected under the new performance levels. The ISAT data collected this spring will then be analyzed using the new expectations and released in the fall. Though more difficult, these higher standards will better position students to tackle the challenges of college and careers. And we are confident that our students will rise to the occasion. Please don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher or principal with any questions and concerns. Thank you for working with us to provide a brighter future for your children.

Please check this site regularly, as we will update it on a regular basis. If you have any information or tips that you would like to provide, please feel free to contact me at (708) 453-6813 or email me at bmcconnell@rhodes.k12.il.us

Thank you for your help in preparing our students for ISAT!

Brian McConnell, Assistant Principal

Rhodes School