INDIANAPOLIS -- After a delay that left many in Indiana education frustrated, the results of the 2014-15 ISTEP+ were released Wednesday morning.
The 2014-15 test was the first of the new, more challenging assessments.
Statewide, 67.3 percent of students passed the English/Language Arts section, 61 percent passed the Mathematics section and 53.5 percent passed both sections.
As expected, the percentage of passing students dropped. More than 80 percent of students passed the 2013-14 English/Language Arts test, which is about a 13 percent difference between the years.
There is more than 20 percent difference in passing students between the 2013-14 Mathematics test and the 2014-15 Mathematics test statewide.
Our partners at Chalkbeat analyzed the statewide results and found just four of the 1,500 public schools that took the 2015 exam had more kids pass than the year before.
In all, 93 percent of public schools that took the test the last two years saw their passing rates drop by at least 10 percentage points. Half of schools saw a drop of 20 percentage points or more.
IPS ISTEP results dipped by 22.6 percent.
Some area districts like Beach Grove City Schools dropped by more than 31 percent. Others saw dips as low as 11 percent.
Check the results for:
- Individual Indiana school corporations
- Indiana statewide results
- Science and social studies
- Public schools statewide
- Non-public schools statewide
In Central Indiana, the districts with the largest overall score drop include Beech Grove City Schools (down 31.1 percent) and Pike Township Schools (down 29.2 percent).
In response to the release of the results, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz said she is in favor of moving away from the Pass/Fail ISTEP+ assessments.
"The one-size-fits-all high stakes approach of the ISTEP+ needs to end," Ritz said in a statement. "Instead, Indiana should move towards a streamlined, individualized, student-centered assessment that provides students, families and educators with quick feedback about how a student is performing and how they have grown during a school year."
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