Schools responding to flawed ISTEP question

A flawed question on this year’s ISTEP exam is affecting some Indiana schools and shows continued problems with the test despite a move to a new vendor.

The Indiana Department of Education alerted schools Wednesday to what it flagged as “extremely important” information. A question on the sixth-grade math test could confuse students and cause scoring issues. The state decided Thursday the question would not count toward a student’s score — but not before some districts spent time reviewing test booklets as advised by the state.

Greenwood Schools reviewed approximately 250 test booklets. Other school officials say they didn’t complete their reviews before the state muted the impact of the test question.

According to a Department of Education email obtained by IndyStar, here was the problem with the question: “In the Part A portion of the item, students are asked to indicate two missing numbers in a table. The spaces for student responses contain an ‘X’. Some students may recognize ‘X’ as a variable, and other students may be confused at seeing an ‘X’ in the area where they need to respond.”

The state told school administrators Wednesday morning to review all student answers to the question. If the student didn’t respond in the correct area, then the adult could move the answer — an authorization that one administrator described as “unusual latitude” for schools.

The flaw affected only schools giving the first round of the ISTEP by paper and whose students had already completed that portion of the test. Students will still take the test question. It just won’t count toward their score on this year’s high-stakes exam, which began Monday.

Greenwood's testing coordinator conducted the review Wednesday with two other administrators.

“Needless to say, it took an immense amount of time from three administrators. There have been mistakes before, but in my memory, none that were quite so immediately found that required attention from the schools prior to sending in the tests,” said Rebecca Rinehart, the district’s technology director.

Administrators say hitches with the test are a normal part of the process, but issues identified with the question were more serious because of the impact it could have on results.

Teacher to students: ISTEP 'tests do not define you'

“(The Department of Education) recognized that and took appropriate action … (the department) has always indicated that there’s enough content on these assessments to eliminate an item or two and still make an accurate determination of student proficiency,” said Scott Smith, testing coordinator for Brownsburg Schools.

Cari Whicker, a State Board of Education member and sixth-grade teacher in Huntington, said she experienced issues with the test question as her students took the ISTEP this week.

“It appears the Department of Education and its testing vendor caught the problem and told schools how to correct it, but I wonder why they couldn’t fix these issues before they end up in the hands of teachers and students in the classroom,” Whicker said in a statement.

Questions also remain on whether schools should keep checking booklets, said Missy Zimmerman, testing coordinator at Bartholomew Consolidated Schools in Columbus.

“For our students, we know it is difficult when you are looking and there doesn’t seem to be a place to write something,” Zimmerman said. “A lot of our kids took the assessment before the guidance was released.”

The flaw with the test question comes after the department ditched its longtime testing vendor, CTB/McGraw Hill, and started using Pearson Education to administer the ISTEP this year and in 2017.

Under CTB, the administration of the test experienced a series of technology and scoring issues that grew to the point the Indiana General Assembly is poised to officially dump the ISTEP exam and adopt an alternative standardized test. The action is necessary, supporters of the overhaul say, because ISTEP is a brand damaged beyond repair.

Editorial: Repeal and replace ISTEP

Rocky Killion, superintendent of West Lafayette Schools, said he remains concerned about whether this year’s test is valid and will produce reliable results.

“Just because we have a new vendor does not remove the errors and the issues still attached (to) ISTEP+,” Killion said.

The guidance to schools was “sent to ensure that all students receive accurate scores and also provide additional information (when needed) about items, whether they be sample, practice or operational,” according to Department of Education spokeswoman Samantha Hart.

As of Wednesday, Pearson had “administered nearly 117,000 successful ISTEP tests, with no major problems reported and low call volume,” according to company spokesman Scott Overland.

The Department of Education also alerted schools to a typo found in a question on the sixth-grade science test. However, the typo "does not impact the answer," according to the department.

Among other errors, the department notes a typo in the teacher's manual for a sample math item for Grade 5 and Grade 7. On the Grade 4 science practice test, the department advises that artwork paired with one item might confuse students.

This portion of the ISTEP test, where students answer open-ended items, runs through mid-March. The multiple-choice portion of the test begins in April.

Mom finds way for daughter to sidestep ISTEP

Call IndyStar reporter Chelsea Schneider at (317) 444-6077. Follow her on Twitter: @IndyStarChelsea.