ISAT Testings, Can It Be Missed?

Hello Sandra, I am a teacher for CPS and the ISAT test is important for grades 3, 6, & 8 especially. Call the school and find out what their testing schedule is and maybe she could go in just for the test and come back home. There are 3 sessions of reading and math and 1 session of writing for 5th grade. If you can try to get her there for testing.

As an educator but in the upper levels I think you need to contact her school. As others have mentioned there usually is make-up testing the following week. Also, yes, it is important to see the level that she is on but if she does not feel good then her score may be reduced. See how she feels, she needs to be as close as 100% as possible.

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As a former teacher (in both MO and IL) I agree that you don't want to send her if she feels terrible b/c she will do terrible on the test. BUT (and this is a big but)...I must admit that I think if she's well enough to go and do the tests with the class she absolutely should, even if you send her for testing and pick her up after it's over. I know that probably sounds crazy b/c it's just a test, etc. etc., and yes that's true, but this is a big deal in every school. She can make up the tests, but when she has to make them up she'll have to miss more class time and be in a room with a bunch of other kids doing make up tests. Rarely do the make-up test kids take as much time or give it as much effort as they would the first time around, mostly because they're secluded from their peers and they want to get back to class, not because they're lazy or anything like that, because I'm sure she isn't that!!

In th end, her health absolutely comes first, but my best advice would be talk to her teacher and see what her teacher really thinks. I hate, even in my written response, to put so much pressure on tests like these, but the fact of the matter remains that the school boards and governments do, so as teachers and parents we have to do the same, otherwise we lose funding, not to mention we lose good teachers and good schools. In the end, if she does stay home, I would at least ask the teacher for any materials they are studying or reviewing to help her be more successful on the tests so that she'll be more prepared for make-ups. I hope this helps! Good luck and I hope she feels better soon (and not so she can do the test! ;)

Kids at my daughter's school miss them all the time, many times due to vacation! They just have them do the tests when they return to school. I hope your daughter feels better soon!!

There are make-up sessions for students who were absent. Most likely, they will be during her normal class periods. She will therefore miss some material in her regularly scheduled classes but will be allowed to make-up anything she misses.

Don't worry, they have make up days the following week. Hope she starts feeling better.

As a former teacher, I can assure you your daughter will not have to repeat 5th grade. While the tests are very important, we wouldn't want your daughter taking them while she doesn't feel good. Just send her back to school once she is better, and the school will set up times when she can make-up the tests during the school day. The district has 2 weeks to give the tests, so usually the 2nd week is mainly for all the make-ups for kids who have been absent. I hope your daughter feels better soon!

In our district the ISAT start today for 5th grade & run thru Thursday. They have blocked out days thru the end of next week for make up. I would call your school & find out if your testing is the same schedule as ours. As far as the absences that she has already had, are getting her work sent home? That would help her try to stay up to date with her school work & not be overwelmed when she is able to return.

Hi, Sandra.

The ISATs do not affect her movement from one grade to another, however they are used when determining her overall growth from one year to another as well as placement for the following year (as she enters middle school next year this may be very important). Many districts use more than this one assessment, but this is a big one. There are make-up days already put into the schools calendar for this testing. I would strongly recommend that you talk to your child's teacher about your concerns and see how you can get her testing in if at all possible - esp if she is not ready to come back to school on a regular basis. You certainly don't want her to test on a day she's feeling terrible as that will affect her performance.

Check out this website for more information on the ISAT testing and what it means, http://iirc.niu.edu/Tests.aspx?isat. There is a lot of good easy to understand information for parents.

Good luck - I hope she is better very soon.

Coming from a teacher (in Plainfield, too), it's important for the school that she takes the test, but I wouldn't jeopardize your daughter's health. This week are the tests, and next week will be the makeups. She will be able to take the tests, even if she misses some school.

Also, it won't determine if she passes to fifth grade, but it does give us some information on how well she does in reading and math.

They have make up dates - if she is sick she will not do an accurate testing cause she won't be feeling up to it, so dont' push her to do it this week!! It will not mean her repeating the year, just doing the tests when she returns.

Call the principal and ask her when make up dates are going to be.

I would definitely make sure that you contact the school and her teachers to make sure that she has access to the classwork that she has been missing so she isn't completely lost and left behind when she gets back. I agree with the previous posters about ISAT.

My daughter is missing them due to a vacation we planned over a year ago. But I spoke with our principal and he is arranging for her to take them another time. Call the school and speak with someone about planning for her to take them on a make-up basis. It will have to be close to thus time she does it, but maybe she can even double up on the quantity of tests she takes a day. Check it out. She won't do well nor will she want to go if she's so sick. You can't avoid that.

As a teacher, I ensure you that there are make-up days scheduled. You want your daughter to reach her full potential, so wait until she feels better. I had one little boy coughing and sneezing through his whole reading test today. I felt so bad that he had to take the test.
In defense of schools and teachers I would like to let some of the moms that responded know that we are put under a lot of pressure when it comes to the Illinois Standard Achievement Test. Many of our jobs are on the line due to these tests. While most of us agree that is ridiculous, we look to our students' parents for support. Please try and respect the amount of effort that goes into teaching your children.

ISAT's are not as important as everybody thinks. Any teacher can assess a students abilities without an ISAT if the child has to miss the test for some reason. They will not deny any classes or services for a student if they do not have ISAT scores. There are many students who fall short on their ISAT tests and still get into "gifted" programs, as well as many students who perform extremely well on the ISAT but still need "special" help from resource teachers. Plus, ISAT scores have nothing to do with grade placement and holding back (Schools are NOT allowed to even use ISAT scores for report card grading). ISAT's are mainly a way for the state to govern what is being taught properly in each school and be able to rank the schools by these test scores. (Some district principles and superintendants get bouses based on ISAT scores and extra tax funding from counties and the state). And one more note, not all states do ISAT testing at all, and there are many students transfering from those states all the time. ISAT scores, or even taking the test WILL NOT AFFECT YOUR CHILD WHATSOEVER. May upset the school for funding or high scores, but that's their problem, your child needs to get better!!!

My daughter missed 2 days of the ISATs due to illness but made it up the following week. Call the school and let them know. I hope your daughter gets better soon.

There are makeup days, so no worries! Just get your little girl healthier and deal with the ISATs later.

Have you spoken to the principal yet? Even though the children must by law attend a certain number of days of school to be passed to the next level, she should not be held back due to missing the tests. However, the tests are used to determine what kind of class she is placed in next year. Your daughter might be able to make up some work while she is home. Call and see what can be done. Also, since you have medical care, that could be leverage to use if they bring anything up.

My daughter's friend broke her foot right before tests last year and missed most of the days due to this. She also misses a ton of days during the year and was not held back.

My son missed an ISAT test years ago for a different reason. At any rate he is now finishing his Bachelors in Nuclear Engineering, so evidently that didnt affect him. The schools do not want you sending your sick child back-I am sure of that and you are obviously a good caring mother to think about this, but what you might do is call the school, and the teachers and find out what is protocol for this situation. Your child will not be the first or last to miss an ISAT test. Because this is a very realistic medical condition I am sure all of the teachers and principal will be able to work something out with you so she will not have to repeat fifth grade. There are still a few out there who are kind and concerned about children.

You know what is best for your daughter. I was diagnosed recently with pneumonia and am on antibiotics and neb treatments. I could no more do my best on a test than the man on the moon! If you force your daughter to take the test she could do very poorly and THAT could affect her schooling, way more than not taking the test. The fact that you asked is proof that you know your daughter should stay home and recuperate. Great mom instincts.

I just have to agree w/ Crystal! While ISATs are important to see where a school is ranked and how students are doing, it is not super imerative to your daughters individual education. I appreciate the prep the kids are given for these tests, but doesn't that then not give a true score if the kids have to "study" material they haven't truly focused on yet?? I think just a little too much is put on these ISATs...sorry, just a M. speaking. The kids get so nervous and worried...get enough sleep, no getting up to go potty, make sure you have enough pencils...etc.

Worry about getting your daughter well, and the school should have some days set aside for make-up tests. I'm not saying these tests are not important, but it seems to detract from their normal studies, and our district alleviated "holiday" parties for just that reason! Anyway...I hope your daughter is feeling better soon..pneumonia is scary...my son has had it 4 times! Good luck and hang in there!

Hi, The ISAT does not determine whether or not your child passes her grade, and they cannot hold her back for missing it! It is important that she takes it, but she should be feeling well when she takes it so that she can perform at her normal ability. The test window is for 2 weeks, and most schools use the 2nd week as a make up week for students who were absent the first week. Don't stress over it, and I hope she feels better soon. If you want any other ISAT info, you can go to isbe.state.il.us/

You should not send her if she is sick. I am a teacher, and schools always have to do makeup testing for kids who are out. We have the next 2 weeks or so to make sure everyone takes the tests. My school will not even test today, because Mondays tend to be bad days for testing (tardy, absent students, etc.) I am sure the school would rather have your daughter take the tests when she is well and feeling better, instead of doing poorly because she is not well. I am sure you have a doctor's note for her having pnemonia, but I doubt you'll need it for ISAT. I have worked in many districts, and NONE hold students back for missing ISAT because they are sick.

HOpe she feels better soon.

My son missed a day or two of it last year, and he just had to make them up during his "specials" (PE, Music, etc) They cannot hold her back because of the ISATs. Maybe you can email her teacher and see what the protocol is at your daughter's school.

Your child's health is more important than anything! She's still sick and weak, so she wouldn't do well on the test anyway. There should be some dates next week so your daughter can make up the tests she missed. I'm a teacher giving the ISATs starting tomorrow and I can tell you--no test is worth risking your child's health!!

I'd ask her pediatrician if he thinks she is well enough to return to school for the tests and get something in writing one way or the other-that she is able to return to school with any restrictions or that she should not do so. Then if she can't, I'd approach the school-nurse, teacher and, if necessary, principal. Good luck to her and to you.

Most schools have retake days. Let the school know your concerns and see when the retake day is for the test.