Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. is taking a proactive approach to the state’s new approach that could retain thousands of students statewide at grade level for failing to pass multiple attempts at the IREAD-3 test.
During a recent school board meeting, board members received an update on how the current student group is expected to do on this spring’s upcoming IREAD-3 test, and how many are expected to pass as compared to how many might not.
Based on their predictions, most are expected to pass, but there is a concerning number of students who might not.
Richards, Southside and Taylorsville elementary students participated in ILEARN Checkpoint, which is part of a pilot program as ILEARN is set to undergo a redesign starting with the 2025-26 school year. The Indiana Department of Education offered schools the ability to pilot the three checkpoints for English and math this school year.
These are important because it gives a snapshot of where students are, and how far they need to go in order to pass the test.
And it also gives the school corporation a number as to how many students could possibly need more than one try at the test and the risks about being held back at the end of ILEARN testing.
Known as Senate Bill 1, the state passed a law directing schools to administer the statewide IREAD test in second grade — a year earlier, and requiring remediation and help for those at-risk of not passing. If a student doesn’t pass after three tries, they can be held back — and some state officials believe the number of students who could potentially be held back is in the thousands.
Republicans have repeatedly argued the proposal is not a bill to retain kids and that if schools do the at-risk support and remediation, no students will be retained.
But that is a “we will see” question going forward.
BCSC’s proactive moves under consideration include making sure there is a licensed teacher in K-3 classrooms as many school days as possible and a possible new approach to pre-K staffing to ensure early childhood education is a focus.
Parents have a role in this as well, and it starts with reading aloud to children from birth and continuing the focus on reading through their elementary and high school years.
Numerous studies have shown that reading to preschool children leads to stronger social, emotional and intellectual skills, better vocabulary and communication skills and connects children to a wider world.
Columbus, are you reading to your preschoolers?
BCSC is doing its part, but it’s time for the parents out there to do so as well.
Tonight, let your child pick out a book and spend some time reading together. There’ll be less stress about state mandated tests in the future if you start developing those reading skills now, before their school days begin. And if you haven’t explored some of the fun titles and topics available in children’s literature, it can actually be fun for parents too.
