After this school year, Indiana will replace the ISTEP standardized test with the iLearn.

With the new test coming out, there will be major improvement coming.

“I hope that the test will be less stressful for students and teachers, and that the results will be clear, easy to interpret, and provide accurate information about how students are doing so that we can put things in place to improve any areas of weakness.  Another hope is that the motivation behind changing the test is based on what is best for students, and not based on politics or financial interests,” says Ms. Arnold.

Guidance counselor Ms Michele. Arnold says “iLearn is an assessment similar to ISTEP.  It’s purpose is to make sure that students are learning what they need to know to graduate from high school and be successful in college and careers.  As a school, these assessments help us to see areas that may be weak for each student and for the school overall, so that they can be addressed and improved.”

Indiana is planning to start the test next school year. Ilearn will be testing students in the same subjects, but there are a few changes.

“We have not received any information directly from the state, so I have to go off of what I have learned through articles that I have read.  They are promising that results will be returned more quickly, leaving more time for remediation.  The ilearn test is also supposed to be shorter, as most educators felt that ISTEP was a very long test and kept students out of the classroom for much too long,” says Ms. Arnold.