The Iowa Assessments have replaced the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), throughout the Hawkeye State. As a result, students who take the Assessments provide their teachers with information that can shape the quality of their education, according to The University of Iowa's website.
In Iowa, the Waukee Community School District’s School Improvement Advisory Committee reviews data from the Iowa Assessments to decide which three grades need the most help in the areas of reading, math and science, The Des Moines Register reported.
During the 2011-2012 academic year, the District focused on improving seventh-graders’ reading comprehension, tenth-graders’ understanding of science and eleventh-graders’ math skills. The goal was to help these students test at a proficient level or above on the Assessments. While Waukee officials will not know how their pupils performed until they receive the results later this summer, they believe they achieved their goals.
Recently, the Waukee Board of Education approved a new set of improvement goals for the 2012-2013 academic year. In addition to providing three grades with an increased level of attention, District officials hope that all of its teachers monitor their students’ daily progress.
"We pay attention to those district goals; however, it’s really the job of the teacher to pay attention to the individual needs of each student," Cindi McDonald, the District’s associate superintendent, told the news source.
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