7
Key ISBE initiatives to be implemented
I hope you had a wonderful summer and are
ready for the challenges and opportunities of a new
school year.
Several significant changes are underway as
many of our key statewide initiatives, including the
debut of new online assessments, new ways to
measure school performance and support of teacher
and leader effectiveness, build momentum in Illinois.
We appreciate the guidance
members
of
the
Illinois
Association
of
School
Administrators have provided as
we continue to implement these
improvements.
This spring, students will take
the Partnership for Assessment
of Readiness for College and
Careers (PARCC) exams in place
of
the
Illinois
Standards
Achievement Test (ISAT) and
Prairie State Achievement Exam
(PSAE). The PARCC assessment
consists
of
two
required
components: a performance-
based assessment (PBA) and an end-of-year
assessment (EOY). As a result of your feedback we
will only require the federal minimum for testing and
allow for some flexibility. This spring, third- through
eighth-graders will take the PARCC in both English
Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. Students will
take the PARCC in Algebra II/Integrated Math III and
in ELA III. We will also administer the ACT on a
voluntary basis.
The new assessments were developed to gauge
how well students meet our new Illinois Learning
Standards (ILS) and determine by each grade level if
students are on track for college and career success,
offering a much earlier reading of that preparation
than any state assessment has ever offered. These
new standards and the PARCC are part of ISBE’s
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
flexibility waiver that goes into effect this school year.
The new flexibility enables us to offer a much more
comprehensive approach to measuring school
performance through the use of multiple metrics,
called our “Multiple Measure Index,” and reward
schools that show improvement.
Schools continue to implement the new ILS. The
Illinois State Board of Education has created an
online Professional Learning Series with hundreds of
supplementary resource items available, developed
an ELA and Math Listserv and designed ELA and
Math shift kits containing materials about best
practices.
a new ISBE website,
shares teacher stories
erspectives about
curriculum and instructional changes as they put the
standards into practice.
Districts also are developing new educator
evaluation systems that provide a clearer picture of
the quality of classroom instruction by combining
multiple
measures
of
student
growth
and
professional
practice. Additionally, new
metrics set to appear on
the 2014 School Report
Card, including the full
5Essentials profile and
report for districts and
schools, will better reflect
student
and
school
achievement.
We have worked closely
with administrators in the
field as we move forward
with
the
5Essentials,
making changes to how it was reported last year at
your request, and also supporting legislation this year
to allow for alternate survey of learning conditions
instruments to be used. We are currently working
with you and other stakeholders to determine what
those instruments will be.
To help administrators understand new
requirements and prepare for what’s ahead, ISBE is
hosting a Back-to-School webinar at 10 a.m. August
19. I strongly encourage you and your staff to join me
for this overview with time for questions about these
ongoing initiatives.
I want to thank your advisory Board that has
worked with us over the past four years as we move
forward with implementation on these initiatives.
Much work lies ahead, but with cooperation, planning
and a clear understanding of our goals, I believe we
can make the 2014-2015 school year the most
productive and successful one yet for the students
and educators of Illinois.
To help administrators understand
new requirements and prepare for
what’s ahead, ISBE is hosting a Back-
to-School webinar at 10 a.m. August
19. I strongly encourage you and your
staff to join me for this overview with
time for questions about these ongoing
initiatives.
-- Dr. Christopher A. Koch,
State Superintendent of Education
Message from
the State
Superintendent
of Education
