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By Charles Bartholomew CHESTERTON -- Portage Township schools will be among six in Indiana to serve as test sites for a new examination for special education students that may replace ISTEP. State Rep. Greg Simms told teachers attending a legislative breakfast at Chesterton High School on Saturday that he had few details. But the Valparaiso Democrat said he contacted Portage coordinator of special student programs Deb Dudek after learning the state was considering it as a challenge to the federal No Child Left Behind law, which has been unpopular with teachers and some parents since its adoption eight years ago. "It's a go. She has the list of students to take the test," said Simms, a teacher on leave who has a degree in special education. Most mentally disabled students take ISTAR, which is approved by the state, but only one percent of passing tests are counted at each school. Of the 145 Portage students who took ISTAR, 123 passed. In contrast, less than 5 percent of mentally disabled students have ever passed ISTEP. Dudek could not be reached for comment and Superintendent Michael Berta was out of town Saturday. Simms told the 80 attendees at the annual meeting of the Dunes Shore District of the Indiana State Teachers Association he acted quickly to put Portage at the top of the test list because he found a "loophole" in NCLB, which is up for congressional reauthorization. "The law says the tests must be 'age appropriate.' I want to see kids tested at their mental age instead of their physical age," Simms said. "I'm hoping to get the state to stand up to the federal government on this. I'm making people nervous," he said," because nobody's made this kind of noise before." Also addressing teachers were State Reps. Scott Pelath (D-Michigan City) and Ed Soliday (R-Valparaiso); State Sens. Jim Arnold (D-LaPorte), Ed Charbonneau (R-Valparaiso), Frank Mrvan (D-Hammond), and Karen Tallian (D-Portage), and Democratic candidate for Governor, former Indiana Congresswoman Jill Long Thompson. |
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