ISTEP, or Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus, is one of the most unnecessary tests at North Central High School. It tests over material students were never taught before or material students have forgotten. It being a requirement to pass high school is ridiculous with it making students miss class time. For me, it’s fairly easy and just a waste of valuable time. Everytime ISTEP comes around for the students not taking it they have three hours of just sitting in a classroom or they just skip school. Most teachers deem it to be bad and useless, as it is a huge waste of time for them. Also, with the students finding out their test scores almost half a year later, it seems pointless with it being too late to correct a student’s understanding.
I feel like ISTEP should be removed from Indiana student curriculum and be replaced with a less time-consuming test or nothing at all. A good replacement would be a short thirty minute review or recap if a student is on the right path every month or two. With it removed the academic standards should be strictly based off of a student’s grades and the classes they take.