TV quiz format a prep for test at Elgin school

Gifford Elementary School Principal Joe Corcoran knows a lot of pressure is placed on performance on the upcoming Illinois State Achievement Test.

But a little fun can't hurt anything, Corcoran said.

Aiming to get parents involved with the standardized testing process, Gifford School in Elgin will host "Are You Smarter Than an ISAT Student?" at 6 p.m. Feb. 28.

During the free family event, Gifford parents "will see what kind of questions the kids will be exposed to," Corcoran said. "They'll also hear about the importance of the test."

Teams of parents and teams of students will face off and answer mock questions that students in third through eighth grades will see on the ISAT, a mandatory grade-school test based on Illinois State Learning Standards.

The atmosphere will be similar to the Fox TV game show hosted by Jeff Foxworthy, Corcoran said.

"We have all this game show software. We're going to make it fun," he said.

The event demonstrates that standardized testing has an important place at Gifford, but isn't the be-all end-all, Corcoran said.

"You try to give kids a well-rounded education -- to make sure they're knowledgeable and happy. But with (standardized testing) there's definitely some pressure there," he said. "They don't look at whether kids are happy and if they're doing well in extracurriculars along with their studies. They look at the results of the ISAT."

Alongside test prep should be fun and parental involvement, Corcoran said. "We want the kids to know how proud of them we are, how excited we are for them to achieve."