Letter To Middle School Parents(ITBS)
By Haack, Robert
January 07, 2012
Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) will be given to students in grades 6-8 on Tuesday, Feb. 14th, Wednesday, Feb. 15th, and Thur., Feb. 16th. These are standardized tests which are given each year and are taken by most students in Iowa and by many students in other states as well. The resulting test results are what we are required to report to the Iowa Department of Education in order to show the progress that our students are making (or not making).
As you may or may not know, the No Child Left Behind legislation makes these test results even more important than in the past. Each year the bar is raised in that the expectation of No Child Left Behind is that by 2014, all students will be “proficient” in reading and math. The only way for schools to demonstrate student proficiency is with student test scores. While that seems a fairly narrow view to some of us, those are the parameters we have been given. You may have heard that many schools in Iowa have been labeled as schools “in need of assistance” because they have not met the standards established by No Child Left Behind. A fair number of schools in our area now have that label. While Whiting is not on that list, we are on a “watch” list for not having met the criteria in one area in a certain grade range in 2011. We won’t be a school “in need of assistance” unless we fail to meet that standard for a second year in the same grade range in the same subject area. If a school is labeled “in need of assistance,” it has many negative repercussions for students, parents, and the school.
The state defines “proficiency” as being above the 40th percentile. This is not a percentage but rather is calculated as follows: if a student is at the 60th percentile, for example, it means he or she scored higher than 60% of other students who took the test and 40% scored higher than they did. A 50th percentile would mean that they are right in the middle, with half scoring better and half scoring lower.
What we are asking is that parents become partners with us and help to motivate students to do their very best on all of the tests. Motivation for these assessments definitely affects how students perform, and we need each of our students to perform to the best of his or her ability. Also, a good night’s sleep before the test, a non-stressful evening before, and a good breakfast can go a long way in making sure that students are refreshed and well prepared. Thanks for your cooperation – hopefully all of our students will give their best effort on these critical assessments.
Sincerely,
Gary Schrage
Secondary Principal
