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The document argues that current benchmarks mislabel high-achieving students as “not proficient,” with English language arts benchmarks being unusually restrictive and math similarly misaligned, while science benchmarks are too low. It proposes four unified performance levels tied to ACT-linked post-secondary success and college/career readiness data, emphasizing clarity, alignment, and reduced real-world negative impacts.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/right-sizing-illinois-benchmarks-for-proficiency-topline-messages-talking-points/537265/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/right-sizing-illinois-benchmarks-for-proficiency-topline-messages-talking-points/537265.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Danger Angel","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-02","2026-10-10",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":24},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What is the main problem with Illinois’ current proficiency benchmarks?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"The benchmarks send the wrong message by mislabeling student readiness, so high-achieving, college-ready students can still be marked “not proficient.”","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How do the current benchmarks differ from national readiness expectations?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"English language arts and math proficiency thresholds are set higher than college readiness benchmarks, while science benchmarks are too low, creating confusion and inflated or misleading results.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What approach does the document propose for updating performance levels?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Align performance levels and proficiency benchmarks to real college and career expectations using ACT-linked post-secondary success data, then use four unified performance levels across all state assessments.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},537265,1792214366,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":24,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":24,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},962090769052,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc","Right-Sizing Illinois’ Benchmarks for Proficiency  \nTopline Messages & Talking Points  \nWe needed to right-size our proficiency levels on state assessments. For years, Illinois’assessment data sent the wrong message to students, families, and educators. Proficiency rates on state assessments did not match up to realities in the classroom.  \n• Illinois’ benchmarks for English language arts proficiency were the most restrictive in the country, resulting in the mislabeling of high-achieving, college-ready students as“not proficient.”  \no In 4th grade math, Illinois had the most difficult-to-reach proficiency benchmark in the nation, according to the National Assessment for Educational Progress.  \no For every other grade and subject, our proficiency benchmarks ranked among the top four most restrictive.  \no When ISBE adopted the SAT as the state’s high school assessment in 2017, the benchmarks for proficiency were set 60 points higher in English language arts and 10 points higher in math than the College Board’s own research-informed national college readiness benchmarks.  \no This meant that students who were succeeding in school—passing Advanced Placement and dual credit courses, taking on leadership roles, and enrolling in college—were often still labeled “not proficient” on the state assessment.  \n• In science, the challenge was reversed—the benchmark was too low, overstating student mastery. This also led to confusion and inflated results that didn’t align with classroom performance or readiness expectations.  \nProficiency benchmarks were misaligned with other trusted national and state indicators.  \n• Illinois’ previous performance levels did not align to national standards, to any other state assessments, or to any other student success data.  \n• To add to the confusion, each state assessment had a different number of performance levels, each with different names, and with different score thresholds.  \n• The result created an uneven playing field for Illinois students and confusion and frustration for Illinois teachers and families.  \nOur North Star has been to align the performance levels and proficiency benchmarks to real college and career expectations.  \n• ACT benchmarks are directly linked to post-secondary success data.  \no Educators participating in the performance level setting considered data on Illinois college placement requirements, such as the ACT score needed for a student to place into English Composition I or Intermediate Algebra at Illinois colleges and universities, as well as the probability of getting a C or higher in credit-bearing coursework. For example:  \n􀂃 Eastern Illinois University uses a minimum score of 18 to place students into English Composition I.  \n􀂃 A math score of 19 gives students a 63% chance of earning a C or higher.  \no Educators also considered alignment to career readiness, such as the ACT score that would likely earn a student a Silver Level National Career Readiness Certificate.  \n• Aligned expectations from elementary through high school give better, more meaningful readiness signals for students and families.  \nThis change will bring clarity and consistency across assessments for families and educators alike, reflecting a truer picture of student learning and readiness.  \n• All state assessments will now use four unified performance levels: Above Proficient, Proficient, Approaching Proficient, and Below Proficient.  \n• Due to the recalibrated benchmarks, proficiency rates will shift to reflect a truer picture of student learning and readiness.  \nIllinois’ education system leads the nation, and our students are out-performing national averages on assessments like NAEP, Advanced Placement (AP), and other key metrics. Many of those same students are being told they do not meet standards on Illinois exams based on the benchmarks. Educators and families deserve more accurate information about student performance.  \n•  U.S. World and News Report ranks Illinois fourth in the nation for ","cbCaiaSy0hrZk5ot","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiaSy0hrZk5ot","pdf",225008,"English","# Right-sizing proficiency benchmarks\n## Problems with current benchmarks\n## Misalignment across assessments\n## North Star: align with college and career expectations\n## Unified performance levels and expected impact\n## Real-world consequences of misalignment","[{\"question\":\"What is the main problem with Illinois’ current proficiency benchmarks?\",\"answer\":\"The benchmarks send the wrong message by mislabeling student readiness, so high-achieving, college-ready students can still be marked “not proficient.”\"},{\"question\":\"How do the current benchmarks differ from national readiness expectations?\",\"answer\":\"English language arts and math proficiency thresholds are set higher than college readiness benchmarks, while science benchmarks are too low, creating confusion and inflated or misleading results.\"},{\"question\":\"What approach does the document propose for updating performance levels?\",\"answer\":\"Align performance levels and proficiency benchmarks to real college and career expectations using ACT-linked post-secondary success data, then use four unified performance levels across all state assessments.\"}]","Right-Sizing Illinois’ Benchmarks for Proficiency - Topline Messages - Talking Points | PDF",1791604310,13]