District 64 students in grades 3-8 will be taking the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (formerly PARCC) from March 11-22, 2019. Students in grades 3-8 will take the IAR tests in English Language Arts and math. Although the name has changed, the format for the IAR is almost exactly the same as the PARCC assessment that students took last year, only slightly shorter.
In coming weeks, principals will share the specific testing schedules at their schools.
In preparation, students are being given an opportunity to learn how to navigate the tools within the computer-based test environment. They also will be taking at least one practice ELA assessment and one practice Math assessment, so they feel comfortable with the testing format, procedures and time limits.
Here are a few key features of the IAR assessment:
- As did PARCC, the IAR assessment aligns college and career readiness expectations from kindergarten through grade 12.
- Test items are designed to assess each student’s mastery of the rigorous Illinois learning standards in ELA and Math.
- The IAR requires students to synthesize information from multiple sources and explain their answers.
- Just as students found when taking PARCC tests, the IAR takes advantage of technology to include questions and other tasks that correspond to the type of learning opportunities students encounter in their classrooms on a regular basis.
- Using these technology-enhanced items, students will get a chance to better showcase their technology skills.
As always, the best preparation for the IAR has been the quality instruction our teachers have provided this school year. However, there are things parents can do on the homefront that promote your child’s success, such as making sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and eats a healthy breakfast each day of testing, and that your child comes to school with a fully charged Chromebook.
If you would like to learn more about the IAR, we have provided the following links for your review: IAR resources, English Language Arts sample tests, and Math sample tests. Although the name of the assessment has changed this year, the testing resources provided by the Illinois State Board of Education are the same as last year’s PARCC resources.
Please keep in mind that no one assessment creates a complete picture of a learner. Individual student reports are expected to arrive in early fall and will be mailed home at that time.