ISTEP-Plus testing begins this week for students throughout Indiana.

This is the last year the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress will be given in the fall to students in grades three through 10

This spring, students in grades three to eight will take a comprehensive test. This year's sophomore class will be the last one to take the Graduation Qualifying Exam. That will be replaced with high school end-of-course assessments in Algebra I for freshmen and English 10 for sophomores. Beginning in the 2009-10 school year, students will take only the ISTEP-Plus in the spring.

Meanwhile, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed encouraged Hoosier families in a recent statement to do their part to help students prepare for the exam.

The statement says ISTEP-Plus provides a learning checkup designed to make sure students are on track and identify which areas need improvement.