Virginia and Illinois: Different Approaches to Student Proficiency
While Virginia raises its expectations for students, Illinois is hiding its struggles with low student proficiency.
Illinois has approved a plan to lower the scores needed to be considered proficient in reading and math on state assessments, effectively burying the problem.
In contrast, Virginia's board of education has voted to raise cut scores in reading and math, pushing for transparency and improvement in core subjects.
- Illinois is more concerned with inflating proficiency rates than actual student performance.
- Virginia is addressing low proficiency by raising expectations, rather than minimizing the problem.
Illinois' comeback story starts here
Author's summary: Virginia prioritizes transparency in student proficiency.