By Dale Chu
Illinois and Virginia are sending two very different signals about what it means to be on track. Illinois recently lowered its cut scores on statewide assessments, boosting reported proficiency rates and giving the appearance of student progress—while withholding any data that would allow the public to make comparisons to when cut scores were set higher. Virginia, by contrast, is moving in the opposite direction, raising its benchmarks in an effort to better align state test results with national standards. The two states illustrate a simple but powerful point: how policymakers set the bar can matter as much as what students actually know.
In Illinois, the change marks the triumph of optics over substance—though the effect is not uniform across subjects. More students now appear proficient in reading and math, but in some cases, specifically 8th grade math, the cut scores may simply be moving closer to appropriate expectations rather than inflating results. (States like New Jersey illustrate an added complication: some 8th graders skip the grade-level math test entirely because they’re enrolled in Algebra or Geometry, making cross-year comparisons tricky.) In other areas, the adjustment muddies the waters for anyone trying to track year-to-year progress. A student considered below grade level last year may now be labeled proficient, not because of a measurable improvement in skills, but because the state shifted the goalposts. And the timing is awful, coming in the wake of the pandemic and at a moment when Uncle Sam is backing off on holding states accountable.
Virginia’s approach is the mirror image. After lowering standards in 2017, the state is now on track to gradually raising cut scores. Early indications suggest this will push some students out of the proficient category, at least initially, and spark debate about whether the standards are too high (one local superintendent called the move to raise standards “unacceptable”). Yet there is clarity: when Virginia reports proficiency, educators and families know it reflects meaningful grade-level mastery. This transparency matters, particularly when the broader public and local leaders are trying to assess whether schools are delivering real learning outcomes.
The contrast between these two states underscores a broader lesson. Cut scores are not just technical decisions; they are statements about expectations and accountability. Lowering them can create the illusion of progress, but it risks eroding trust in assessments as tools for meaningful insight. Raising them can be unpopular in the short term, but it signals a commitment to rigor and ensures that proficiency aligns with what students need to know.
For all of us, the tale of Illinois and Virginia is a reminder to look beyond the headline numbers. It’s easy to celebrate rising proficiency or lament falling scores, but the real story lies in how states define success in the first place.