New grading standards for ISASPs raising student anxiety

According to a study provided by Harvard, students had 15 percent more cortisol in their bodies on a day where there was a standardized test than on a day where there wasn’t. Recent changes to the grading of the ISASPs this year might add more stress, leading to further problems.

Since 1935, Iowa has been testing their students under the assessment named the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, initially introduced to upper elementary and middle school grades. In 2019, it rebranded into the ISASPs under three achievement scores: Advanced, Proficient and Not Yet Proficient. This year, the Iowa Department of Education is changing their grading systems to four concrete levels with higher expectations for students: Below, Developing, Proficient and Excelling in order to “bridge the honesty gap.”

Before the changes, several students at Cedar Falls High School shared a pressuring anxiety for these tests. “It’s really challenging.” Sophomore Candice Hawthrone said. I’m not a big fan of it because the questions are hard.” 

With these new changes, students are likely to face more pressure on their tests. Junior Selah Hess pointed out her concerns about the situation. “A lot of people don’t do good with standardized testing, and if people have a hard time sitting down and taking a test and reading all of the questions, I just feel bad for them.”

In reality, the people who face the most pressure with the ISASP tests are the schools and districts. According to guidance counselor Jake Mueller, “Standardized tests aren’t factored into students’ grades,” he said. “It’s not a direct consequence to you if you get a bad grade.”

While there is a lot of stress surrounding these tests, ISASP test scores are factored in by the state of Iowa to see which schools need proper funding to provide education. They do not affect students’ test scores. The labels for the new ISASP grading system are used to make test scores more accurate.