Elementary and middle school students in Illinois taking the state’s new standardized test this spring will find similar questions and a similar format to previous tests. The test, however, is administered differently and results are to be tallied and made available quicker. The Illinois Assessment of Readiness measures mastery of Illinois Learning Standards in English, Language Arts, and Mathematics among students in third through eighth grades. It also assesses student readiness for what comes next. The differences from the previous Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers test will be subtle. Tiffany Springer is Curriculum Director for District 205.
“Students are not really going to see a change in the administration of it this year. However, I do believe it is shorter with three sixty-minute units for math, two ninety-minute units for english and language art, and the 3rd-grade ELS tests, which are language arts, are seventy-five minutes.”
The test measures the same standards and includes the same content and test questions used the last four years. By 2020, state officials expect a fully online test statewide for all grades and to have results for teachers and families much faster than the current Oct. 31 date. By 2021, the exam will transition to computer-adaptive testing that tailors questions to match students’ knowledge and abilities which is something District 205 already does. It also will incorporate questions developed by Illinois educators.
