Area schools highlight achievements amid mixed results from state literacy data

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - The State Department of Education says new data from spring assessments show that Idaho students are outperforming their national peers in early literacy, but that there's also some losses in proficiency levels on the Idaho Standards Achievement Test, or ISAT.

The department says the mixed results allow them to look at the variables that went in to the equation.

On of those variables could be the length the ISAT test took this year.

The Idaho Department of Education told us 2023 is the first year Idaho went to the "full blueprint" of the ISAT, which is essentially a longer version of the test. This means some parts of the test that were normally two and a half hours took three and a half hours in 2023.

"I think about the average assessment for fourth grade ELA, the average is 3 hours and 32 minutes. I look at that and I ask myself, is that really assessing what that kid can do in English language arts or by really just assessing their attention span at that point," State Department of Education Chief Deputy Superintendent Ryan Cantrell said.

Cantrell says the state will be moving back to the "shortened blueprint" of the ISAT for 2024, and that they're eager to compare data from 2023 and 2024.

The new data also shows that Idaho students are outperforming their national peer in early literacy. Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI) tests show early literacy outperforming the national averages by 18% in first, second, and third grade.

Some area schools are showing significant improvement in early literacy.

American Heritage Charter School in Idaho Falls is maintaining its 10% bump in IRI scores. The school partially credits the State Department of Education's "SMART" Program for that progress. The program gives teachers training on the science of reading, and provides classroom support from a state coach.

"I think it is helping the teachers look at reading and teaching reading in a different way, making sure kids are understanding the sounds and how they're formed with their mouths, as well as being able to break all that down..[it] really helps kids be successful," American Heritage Charter School Prinipal Dr. Tiffnee Hurst said.

The State Department of Education also mentions the SMART program as a method of improving early literacy scores, alongside tapping into expiring federal funds to provide supplemental reading
interventions, and requesting funds to hire a state Early Literacy Coordinator to support.