September 12, 2007

BOARD VOTES TO CONTINUE 9TH GRADE ISAT

BOISE— Idaho’s 9th grade students will continue to take the Idaho Standard Achievement Test (ISAT) while 2nd graders will not. The Idaho State Board of Education voted today to amend its current contract with Data Recognition Corporation (DRC), the test vendor. The changes to the contract will result in the reduction of approximately $2.4 million dollars to Idaho taxpayers and allow the State Board to stay within budget.

Those changes include:

• Stoppage of winter ISAT for grades 3-10 starting in the winter of 2007
• Removal of 2nd grade testing in all future years of the contract
• Reductions to the base contract in the amounts of $100,000 annually
• Deferment of payments in the amounts of $726,827 to fiscal year 2009 and $360,183 to fiscal year 2010
• DRC will not charge any interest on deferred payments

Idaho students will take the ISAT twice a year; once in the spring, which is required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act and once in the fall which is required by Idaho code. Idaho high school students who fail the ISAT as a 10th grader will still have the opportunity to re-test as an 11th and/or 12th grader if needed, in the fall or winter of each year. Idaho 2nd graders were not scheduled to be tested in the fall of 2007. All Idaho students in grades 3-10 will take the fall ISAT as scheduled.

Interim Executive Director Karen McGee also voluntarily submitted her resignation effective immediately. Dr. Mike Rush who currently heads up the Division of Professional Technical Education has been named by the Board as Acting Executive Director.

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