The risks of raising the bar: Du Quoin parents told of ISAT test score changes- Part I

The number of students in grades 3 through 8 in places like Du Quoin, Pinckneyville, Tamaroa, Elkville and Trico who meet and exceed standards in the annual Illinois Stands Achievement Tests (ISAT) will drop significantly when scores come back after the March testing period.

It's because an Illinois State Board of Education decision last week has effectively raised the bar on those tests. Your children are not any "less smart" after 2013 test scores come in.

Simply, some students who previously met or exceeded standards will instead show the need for improvement. The ISBE is simply expecting more students going forward to show their progress toward college and career-readiness targets.

Du Quoin Middle School principal Aaron Hill is concerned about two things:

1. That children continue to work to be the best they can be through the focus of schools and family members, but moreover

2. That you understand that the lower rankings will be because the state's standards are changing, not the child's ability to learn.

ISAT scores fall into the rankings of academic warning, does not meet state standards, meets state standards and exceeds state standards. In March it will take higher composite scores to fall into the same categories your child was in last year. Over the next two weeks the newspaper will break down the changes so you will better understand the state's thinking and how to interpret test results.