CCSD 180 revamps district-wide testing program

At the recommendation of an assessment committee representing all grade levels of the school district, the CCSD 180 Board of Education approved a revision to the district’s testing program at its October 19, 2004 meeting. Superintendent Frank Rink indicated that an assessment program must result in data that will be viewed, reviewed, and used. “We can develop the most comprehensive testing program that there is, but it is meaningless unless the data are used to drive decisions and to support improvement,” he said. He commended the committee that reached consensus on a meaningful and useful testing program at CCSD 180.

Components of the program are as follows:
Criterion Referenced Testing - These are regular classroom assessments administered on a regular basis by faculty. This is the most frequent and most valuable form of testing. This form of testing, of course, remains in place within the district.
Special Education - Psychometric tests administered primarily by a psychologist on an as needed basis will remain.
Fast ForWord Participants - Gates-MacGinitie pre-tests and post-tests before and
after program participation will continue.
Screening/Progress/achievement - The Gates-MacGinitie pre-test and post-test will be administered to all students in grades 1 through 8. This reading/literacy test gives us some fall to spring data and also addresses some of our mobility issues by which students often come and go with no testing whatsoever.
Gifted – The Cognitive Ability Test (CogAT) will be given as the first gifted/talented screening measure supplemented by some subjective measures (teacher and parent referral, observations, self-analyzing matrix), and the ISAT and Gates-MacGinitie tests.
Ability/Aptitude Testing – The Cognitive Ability test (CogAT) will be given in grades 2, 4, and 6. Although an aptitude test given on a yearly basis is a waste of time and money, we believe the time frame for this testing keeps us in touch with student aptitudes and provides objective data for gifted/talented placement. We will also receive some eighth grade ability/aptitude data from the screening tests given by our high school district.
ISEL (Illinois Snapshot of Early Literacy) – This state test will be administered to students in Grades K and 1 in the fall and spring (pretest and posttest).
ISAT (Illinois Standards Achievement Tests) in spring -
Reading, Math in Grades 3, 5, 8 for 2004-05.
Science in Grades 4 and 7 for 2004-05.
Reading, Math in Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 for 2005-06 and beyond.
Science in Grades 4 and 7 for 2005-06 and beyond.
It has been announced that there will be norming for the ISAT test in the near future, negating the need for a costly Stanford, ITBS, or Scholastic Achievement Test.
Norm referenced testing – We will drop the costly Stanford, ITBS, or Scholastic Achievement Test to save time, money, and duplication of effort and data.

In other action, the Board . . .
. . . heard an assessment related report by Superintendent Rink that showed substantial increases in student ISAT achievement when children have been in the school district for two or more years. Rink said, “Our student population is more mobile than most school districts in DuPage County, giving us some unique challenges. Typically, only 45% to 60% of students in each grade level have been with us for two years or more. When children remain with us for at least two years, their test scores soar. For example, just over half of last year’s eighth graders were with us as sixth graders. However, 87% of our eighth graders who had been with us for two or more years met or exceeded state standards on the eighth grade writing ISAT test. Those results compare favorably to any school district in DuPage County. However, only 67% of recent move-ins to our school district met or exceeded those eighth grade writing standards. That same trend held true on this year’s results for every test at every grade level. Our instructional staff provides outstanding teaching no matter when a child comes to us. However, when a child remains with us for two years or more, we have a better opportunity to make that positive difference.” Rink noted that “all students are cherished, no matter when they enroll in the school district, and that any preoccupation with a high mobility rate or a higher than average poverty rate will not and cannot serve as obstacles to our improvement efforts and our commitment to children.” The trend of higher scores for students with more tenure at CCSD 180 has been tracked for the past several years.

. . . reviewed and approved school improvement plans for Burr Ridge Middle School and Anne M. Jeans Elementary School. The Improvement Plans will be posted on the school district’s website: http://www.ccsd180.org.

. . . passed a resolution of congratulations for sixth grader Kyrian Obidiegwu and Coach Meghan Radtke for Kyrian’s participation at the Illinois Elementary School Association‘s Cross Country State Championship Meet in Normal on October 16.

. . . presented the Board of Education’s Award of Excellence to Secretary Debi Wilson as nominated by Principal Stephanie Mitchell.

. . . heard a presentation by Superintendent Rink regarding 2004 ISAT results by quartile performance and regarding three-year ISAT trend data.

. . . approved an application of waiver to the Illinois State Board of Education to observe Presidents’ Day rather than Lincoln’s Birthday as a day of non-attendance from 2006 through 2010.

. . . approved full funding of an Art Club for Anne M. Jeans Elementary School students under the sponsorship of Mrs. Mary Plunkett.

. . . reviewed and approved the fiscal year 2004 audit.

. . . passed a resolution certifying the continuing existence of safety hazards requiring transportation for students living less than 1 1/2 miles from their school.

. . . reviewed improvements to the school district’s infrastructure, including recent parental access to student attendance, academic, and financial data via the internet through the PowerSchool data retrieval system.

. . . approved a request for child-care leave and accepted the resignation of teacher aide Kristine Jones.

. . . heard reports from the administration including the following from Superintendent Rink:
A. Parental Access to PowerSchool
B. Safety Reviews at CCSD 180
C. International Fair
D. Citizens’ Advisory Council
E. PTC
F. IASB Membership/Code of Conduct for School Board Members
G. October ROE Building Inspection
H. October 22 Institute
I. Board of Education Election
J. Lyric Opera Costume Acquisition
K. Illinois Energy Consortium
L. Upcoming Tax Levy Cycle – Nov. 9 Meeting
M. Hinsdale H.S.D. #86 Activity Passes
N. Countertop Replacements
O. Stolen Parking Lot Signs

The Board’s next meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 9, 2004 at 7:30 p.m. in the Board Room of Burr Ridge CCSD #180.

Click here to access the actual minutes of this meeting