ISTEP schedule impacted after snow storm

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Many schools are closed or delayed Wednesday after a winter storm came through the area Tuesday and since ISTEP began this week, testing schedules could be impacted.

24-Hour News 8 Reporter Walter Allen says the state gives the districts around a two week window to get the testing done, and testing only takes about half that time. He said the schools will have time to make up days delayed or missed. Districts need 95 percent of the student body to participate or they take a hit in the school-wide grade.

Many districts started this week and in case there is a delay cancellation, they can make it up. Hamilton Southeastern School District actually made up two different schedules in case of bad weather. The school district was on a two-hour delay Wednesday morning.

Jeff Harrison, corporation test coordinator for HSE, says the district isn’t worried about changing the testing schedule.

“Even if we had to cancel, we would still have plenty of time to get the testing window done,” he said. “If we cancel tomorrow for whatever reason then we still have five days. We already have one day of testing underneath our belts so we only really need to utilize one of those days.”

Harrison added “We have our training with our counselors who handle testing and we asked them to have a schedule for a regular day and a two-hour delay schedule. We didn't expect that we would have to implement one in the middle of March but we are ready to do so. If we have a two hour delay then we will push testing back but we will still test that day."