IL - Benchmark Update August 2025

How will ECRA apply the new Illinois proficiency benchmarks?

On August 13, 2025, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) approved new proficiency benchmarks for the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) for Grades 3-8, the ACT suite of assessment for Grades 9-11, and the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA). As a result, over the coming weeks, ECRA will be updating its School Improvement platform and related reports and apps to the new proficiency benchmarks. Here is what you need to know.

• Student growth metrics are not affected by the change in proficiency benchmarks. Academic growth is measured using scale scores, which were not altered as part of ISBE’s standard setting process.
• Proficiency benchmarks for the 2025 IAR, ACT, and ISA test administrations will be updated to the new benchmarks. Benchmarks for 2024 and earlier will not be updated to ensure the benchmarks within the platform preserve the standard at the time the test was administered.
• Proficiency projections for the 2026 IAR, ACT, and ISA administrations will also be updated to the new benchmarks.
• Proficiency benchmarks on local or other assessments that are not part of the state testing system will remain unchanged until ECRA has completed the necessary research to equate the new proficiency benchmarks to all other assessments. We anticipate other tests will be updated later this fall, and will be applied to the 2025-2026 school year.
• A new static pdf report will be added to your document library that applies the new proficiency benchmarks retrospectively to give you a longitudinal look into your district’s proficiency rates against the new benchmarks. This report will report years 2022 through 2025.

What actions does your district need to take?

K-8 districts do not need to take any specific actions beyond your normal course of data exchange with ECRA. Unit and high school districts may need to provide updated ACT Suite files as some preliminary data files we received did not contain ELA scores. Your ECRA analyst will reach out to your district if updated files are needed.

How can I learn more about how our district should be using and communicating the new proficiency benchmarks?

There are important implications of the new proficiency benchmarks that districts should be aware of. We recommend attending Dr. Gatta’s upcoming webinar where he will provide guidance on best practices for how to transition to the new benchmarks. Or, read Dr. Gatta’s full post sharing his insights about this important update in Illinois.