Illinois School Report Cards for 2025 reflect a new standard for student proficiency. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) created new student proficiency benchmarks to provide educators and families more meaningful data about student success. While the new benchmarks are a step in the right direction toward more meaningful performance levels, variation in benchmark rigor across grades and subjects presents interpretation and communication challenges. Without proper context, student proficiency under the new benchmarks is likely to be misinterpreted.
This video provides a brief (10 minutes) overview of the characteristics of the new Illinois Proficiency Benchmarks underlying the 2025 state report card. In addition, it provides concrete guidance on how to best communicate student proficiency.
