About the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP)
- Developed by Iowa Testing Programs at the University of Iowa in collaboration with Iowa educators
- First administered in spring 2019 to students in these subjects and grade levels:
- Math: Grades 3-11
- English Language Arts: Grades 3-11
- Science: Grades 5, 8 and 10
- Includes an online format and assessment of student writing
- Better reflects what is being taught in classrooms because it is more aligned with Iowa’s academic standards
- Find more information about the test at: http://iowa.pearsonaccessnext.com/
The ISASP informs students, parents, educators, and the state, on how Iowa students are performing on the Iowa Core Standards. It is intended to provide helpful information on areas where students are performing well and where they may need additional support. Students and parents are encouraged to review the results from the Individual Student Report and reach out to their schools for additional feedback.
A Higher Bar for Iowa Students
Iowa adopted statewide standards in English language arts, math and science to ensure all students move from grade to grade with the skills and content necessary for success beyond high school. Because Iowa raised the bar for what students are expected to know and be able to do, the state also changed the way progress is measured through state tests. A new state test, the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, replaced the Iowa Assessments. Students in grades 3 through 11 took the new test for the first time in spring 2019. School-level results will be available to schools, parents and other stakeholders in November.
How Proficiency was Determined
Iowa Testing Programs and its vendor, Pearson, convened 185 Iowa educators and experts in July to determine through a collaborative, scientific process what “proficient” and “advanced” mean on the new state test. The performance levels that resulted from that process were recommended for State Board of Education adoption in September.
Interpreting your Student’s Results
Iowa adopted statewide standards in English language arts, math and science to ensure all students move from grade to grade with the skills and content necessary for success beyond high school. Because Iowa raised the bar for what students are expected to know and be able to do, the state also changed the way progress is measured through state tests. A new state test, the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, replaced the Iowa Assessments. Students in grades 3 through 11 took the new test for the first time in spring 2019.
- Student Information – The student’s name, Iowa Student State ID, school, district, and grade appear at the top of the first page.
- Performance Meter – The Performance Meter provides a graphic of the student’s Achievement Level. The score ranges for each
achievement level are displayed below the graphic. - Scale Score – The Scale Score is a score that allows comparisons across grades and years.
- Achievement Level – The Achievement Level indicates the student’s performance on the test and provides a general explanation of what the student knows and is able to do.
- Description of Performance – The Description of Performance is an explanation of the student’s understanding of content specific to grade level.
Note: If you do not see scores for a listed test, please contact your student’s school for more information.
- Iowa Core Domains – The Iowa Core Domains are grade and content specific areas of focus that are tested. For example, Key Ideas and Details is a domain in grade 5 Reading.
- Percent Correct – The Percent Correct provides the percentage of questions the student answered correctly in each Iowa Core Domain.