ISA Testing this week

This week on Thursday 13th and Friday 14th, students from Grades 3-8 will take part in standardised testing.
Below is a letter from Heather Chun regarding the testing.
Feel free to contact the Secondary School office or Heather Chun if you have questions about it.

Dear Parents,

This week we will be involved in our annual achievement tests on February 13^th and 14^th, 2014. Please have your students rested and ready for the testing sessions each morning. A good night’s rest and a good breakfast is a good start to our two mornings of testing. We have administered this test in the spring and fall. This year, it is in the spring.

What is ISA?

International Schools’ Assessment (ISA) is an annual assessment program that has been specially developed to measure skills in mathematical literacy, reading and writing of students in international schools.

ISA is based on the internationally endorsed reading and mathematical literacy frameworks of the program for the International Student Assessment (PISA) developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.  It is designed and developed in Australia by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).

The ISA reports provide descriptive information about what students know and can do.  The results are equated from year to year so they can be used to track changes over time at the individual and school level.

What is ISA NOT?

ISA is not a competitive or comparative test, such as the IB Diploma or Advanced Placement (AP).  It is not a test that students “pass”. It will not be used for purposes other than providing data to us, you, and your child, about his/her learning.  While we give opportunities for practice, students do not ‘prepare’ for the tests, since they are consistent with what students learn on a regular basis.

Who uses ISA?

A growing number of international schools now us ISA, including many of the acknowledged world leaders in international education. You may find a complete list at the website below.

How do the assessments work?

Students complete a reading literacy test, a mathematical literacy test and two writing tests, each of which takes between 45 minutes and one hour to administer.  The tests include both multiple-choice and open-ended tasks.

When is TCIS administering the ISA?

We will administer the ISA this year in grades 6, 7, and 8.  The test will be taken on February 13^th and 14^th.  The students will take the tests in “normal” school conditions e.g. in classroom, in conditions that are familiar to our students.  We have already offered the ISA in our Middle School for the last several years in grades 6, 7 and 8. Our testing has gone very smoothly and we are pleased with the data on student learning.

How will TCIS use the results?

As a school, we will analyze all data about the general patterns of performance and use these as another of the ways in which we monitor and modify our educational program.  This data will be one of the ‘success indicators’ to which we pay attention each year.

What information will I receive as a parent?

We will pass on all information about your child to you in the form of an individual report.  These reports are provided by ACER and are very comprehensive.  They will give you a detailed record of your child’s performance in relation to scales that describe increasingly advanced skills in mathematical literacy, reading literacy and writing.  You will receive them by the end of April.  It is entirely your decision as to whether you pass on this information to another school when you leave TCIS.

In Conclusion

We see the development of ISA as a significant advance in international education that will provide you with clear information about your child’s progress against credible, objective international standards.  If you have any questions about the ISA at TCIS, please feel free to contact me directly. You may also visit the ISA website for more information on the test at http://www.acer.edu.au/isa/

Best Regards,

Mrs. Heather Chun

Counseling Department

  

6 ~ 8학년 학부모님들께,

2월 13, 14 일에 6,7,8 학년 학생들은 이틀에 걸쳐 오전중에 ISA 시험을 치루게 됩니다.

학생들이 그 전날 충분히 수면을 취하고 아침식사도 거르지 않게 시험준비를 도와주시기 바랍니다. 

ISA 란?

International Schools’ Assessment (ISA) 는 읽기, 쓰기, 수학 응용 척도를 알아보기위해 국제학교/외국인 학교들이 많이 사용하는 평가 제도 입니다.

ISA 결과를 통 학생들이 얼마나 지식들을 습득하고 응용하는지 또 해마다 얼마나 발전하고 있는지 볼수있는 좋은 지표가 되기도 하고, TCIS 에서는 ISA 결과를 통하여서학생들이 어떠한 부분이 지도가 필요한지 또 어떤 부분들이 성공적인지 가늠하게 됩니다.

ISA 결과는 4월말에 우편을 통해 자세한 부분까지 부모님들과 공유하게 됩니다.

ISA 에 대하여 더 자세히 알기 원하시면 카운슬러 사무실이나 중.고등학교 사무실로연락 바랍니다.

감사합니다.

Mrs. Heather Chun

Counseling Department