Springfield, IL — Illinois students may soon face new, uniform standards for statewide standardized testing, a change the state’s top education officials say will better prepare students for college and careers while improving the accuracy of performance tracking.
Consistent Measures Across All Exams
The Illinois State Board of Education announced Tuesday proposed updates to the ACT, the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), and the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA). The plan aims to establish consistent scoring measures across all exams, making it easier for parents, educators, and students to understand progress.
Currently, each test uses different performance categories to determine proficiency, which Illinois State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders said creates confusion.
“The varied scores from test to test can create confusion for parents and students due to the lack of consistency,” Sanders said during a Tuesday media briefing, according to Chicago Tribune.
Proposed Four-Level Scoring System
Under the proposal, all state tests would use the same four performance categories:
- Below Proficient
- Approaching Proficient
- Proficient
- Above Proficient
This would replace the current mix of systems, where, for example, the ISA uses emerging, developing, proficient, exemplary, while the IAR uses does not meet, partially meets, approaching meets, meets, and exceeds expectations.
“A student is considered proficient when they are on track for their grade level in learning,” the board explained. “The proficiency benchmark is the score a student needs to be on track in their grade.”
Addressing Benchmark Mismatches
The board found a mismatch between proficiency thresholds in different exam subjects:
- Science benchmarks were too low
- English language arts and math benchmarks were too high
This disparity sometimes resulted in high-achieving students not reaching proficiency on standardized tests despite excelling in class.
Sanders cited examples of former students who took Advanced Placement classes, earned high GPAs, but did not score proficient on state exams.
“If they had listened to us, they might not have enrolled in college,” Sanders said. “Maybe they wouldn’t even have enrolled in dual credit classes while they were still in high school. Thankfully, they didn’t listen… but think about the kids that did not.”
Why the Change Matters
Illinois students take these major exams during their school years:
- Illinois Assessment of Readiness (grades 3–8, English and math)
- Illinois Science Assessment (grades 5 and 8, science)
- PreACT (grades 9–10) and ACT (grade 11)
Aligning benchmarks across tests, officials say, will ensure that a “proficient” score in one subject means the same level of achievement in another, giving a more accurate picture of college and career readiness.
“Having different benchmarks for proficiency creates a sense of inconsistency and does not accurately reflect a student’s readiness,” Sanders said.
The proposed changes are currently under review, and the board has not set an official date for implementation.
What are your thoughts on Illinois’ proposed testing changes? Share in the comments.
