Start of ISAT Testing

Third grade is somewhat of a Milestone for us in Illinois. It is the first year the students get the privilage of taking the ISAT test, in order to measure and quantify a school's yearly progress towards fullfilling No Child Left Behind.

The schools make a big deal out of this event - the students have been preparing for the test for the past 5 weeks or so (per my daughter). Last week, there was assembly at school to rah-rah and get the students geared up for the test. I guess it was like a Pep Rally, but for a standardized test instead of a sporting event - how bizarre. Some schools will have a celebration party at the end of the week. Erica was invited to a classmate's "ISAT's are over - Let's Party" function on Friday.

I recall taking standardized tests when I was in grade school - something like the Iowa Test. But no intense preparation, no celebration parties - we just took the test. Now, I am sure that the results of the test didn't determine a school's funding or place it on the State's "Watchlist", but I am sure that the results didn't just go un-noticed.

So, the ISAT test started today for Erica. She was initially apprehensive about it, but the report after school was "those were really easy tests and they made the day just fly by". I guess there is a bit of a silver lining to it all - especially when you get to "party down" at the end of the week.....