Schools across Illinois are gearing up for the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR).  It’s the statewide standardized test for students in grades three through eight sanctioned by the Illinois State Board of Education.  This week is when sixth, seventh, and eighth-graders will be tested, with students in the other grade levels taking the tests the following week.  At Moulton Middle School in Shelbyville, administrators are looking to use the fine details in the results as guidance for where to focus their instructional attention. 

Leading the charge is Principal Russ Tomlin.  He says they will also use national data trends to assess where the school is at in comparison. 

He goes on to say that the IAR is one of the best tools the school has to take stock of its overall academic performance, with the wider goal of better setting students up for success.

Away from the classroom, the school’s track team is preparing for the start to its season.  The team includes some athletes coming off top finishes in state-level competition a year ago. 

More information on the IAR is available at www.isbe.net/iar.  Moulton Middle School is on the website for the Shelbyville Community School District, www.shelbyville.k12.il.us. 

Russ Tomlin appeared as a guest on the WTIM Shelbyville Morning Show.