As the end of the year slowly approaches, students across the state begin the annual Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress more so known as ISASP. The ISASP is required to be administered to all students in grades 3rd-11th across the state of Iowa between March 11 and May 3, 2024.
This annual state assessment is used to meet federal requirements, measures student progress in core academic areas. It will provide data used to guide our school improvement efforts. According to Principal Cory Williams, West high school is in the “need Improvement” level. This is due to a number of factors but the biggest one of all is a lack of effort.
“Unfortunately, a lot of the students don’t take it very seriously because they personally don’t have an immediate feedback or effect on how it impacts them. I want the students to do their best and try on questions and not click random answers because that would skew what our students actually know,” Williams said.
ISASP doesn’t affect students and their future careers, nor is it a requirement to graduate. However it is a mandatory assessment that is required by the state that demonstrates proficient growth in english, reading, math and science areas.
“It’s only like one week then it’s over so it’s not that bad and I’ve never really been a bad test taker. Though standardized assessments (ISASP) are crucial for ensuring that students are learning stuff and it can also bring funding to our schools,” junior Adam Shiply said.
Though many students dread testing days especially when they last for a long period of time. Furthermore the assessment lasts for roughly one week and is split up into multiple subjects with a time limit of 60-75 minutes each section. After the assessment is over students won’t be able to receive their scores until late summer, sometimes early fall of the following school year.
“I dread it because they take so long and usually you don’t even see how you did after you take the test,” freshman Mady Kengot said.
Seniors are not required to take it since their class scores won’t benefit the schools overall growth scores. However the big relief was not having to stress about the dreadful assessment.
“I feel really good not taking the ISASP this year because it was always a super long boring test to me. It just seemed like it took up the whole day and there would be times where it was constantly challenging questions where I would just get stuck on. Overall the whole experience of taking the test frustrated me,” senior Elizabeth Paustian.
Many students wonder if the assessment really affects their future for college, but the real answer is up in the air. According to Paustian she feels as if it helped prepare her but wasn’t a strict requirement for college.
“It is a harder test where I’m forced to sit down and take my time and problem solve ,but none of the questions relate to my study of interest nor help me succeed in that major,” Paustian said.
Overall ISASP is crucial for the outlook on West high however it doesn’t affect oneself’s personal growth for the future. In the end remember to not stress and at the end of the day it’s just a placement assessment that everyone statewide is required to take.
