Illinois State Board of Education Approves New School Accountability Labels After Federal Approval

The Illinois State Board of Education unanimously approved an overhaul to its school accountability system on Wednesday, changing how schools across the state are labeled and evaluated.

The new system will replace the current five-tier labeling structure with updated designations that state officials say provide a more accurate picture of school performance.

New Labels Under the current system, schools are labeled as Exemplary, Commendable, Comprehensive, Targeted, or Intensive. The new system will use these labels:

• Exemplary
• Approaching Exemplary
• Commendable
• Developing
• Comprehensive

State Superintendent Tony Sanders said the changes would more evenly distribute schools across designations. Using 2025 data as an example, the Commendable label would apply to 23% of K-8 schools and 29% of high schools under the new system, compared to 73% for all schools currently under the Commendable designation.

Federal Approval Required The proposed changes now go to the federal government for final approval from the U.S. Department of Education. All states are required to have an accountability system under federal law. ISBE expects to receive a green light and implement the new system this fall.

Controversial Changes Education advocacy groups have pushed back on some elements of the overhaul. The new system would eliminate the 9th Grade on Track measure, which tracks freshmen with five full-year credits and no more than one course failure.

"9th Grade on Track has been a widely cited metric used to predict graduation rates," said Joshua Kaufmann, executive director of Teach Plus Illinois. "I worry about the signals coming out of this system in that way."

ISBE argues the change will simplify the rating process. Rae Clementz, the agency's executive director for data, accountability and assessment, called 9th Grade on Track a "redundant indicator" because it measures the same concept as graduation rates.

However, Advance Illinois, an education advocacy nonprofit, noted that for 15% of schools across the state, there is at least a 10% disparity between graduation rates and the share of on-track freshmen.

College and Career Readiness The new system also would not factor in college and career readiness. Forty-two other states have a college and career readiness indicator in their accountability systems, though the models vary widely.

"When ISBE last redesigned its school rating system, in 2017, it planned to develop the indicator based on measures like dual enrollment, industry credentials and community service," Clementz said. "But the calculations were complicated, and the indicator was never fully implemented."

Attendance Metrics The agency is also swapping out chronic absenteeism for continuous attendance. The metrics are essentially the same: A student is considered chronically absent after missing 10% or more of school, while continuous attendance measures the percent of students who have been present for 90% or more of the school year.

State officials say the switch is part of an effort to frame attendance in a more positive light. However, some groups question whether the proposed attendance benchmark aligns with what is needed to support student learning.

Public Feedback ISBE conducted a series of listening sessions across the state to solicit feedback on the proposed changes. The department made some adjustments in response to concerns, such as clarifying the labels for schools and adding an additional indicator for determining whether high schools are successful.

Still, some education advocacy groups remained opposed to some elements of the overhaul. "Everybody is not going to be happy about it, and that's OK," said ISBE board vice chair Donna S. Leak. "What we are trying to do is find ways to connect to student achievement in a more meaningful way."

Resource Support ISBE officials said they will share resources such as infographics, short videos, and FAQs with the public ahead of the fall implementation to help families understand the new system.

Under the current system, schools that earn the lowest designations are supposed to get extra state funding to help improve. The new system will continue this approach, with schools receiving support based on their designation.

Emily Warnecke, chief of staff at the Illinois Association of School Administrators, said some educator groups were pleased by the changes. "What you have in front of you today, I believe, is fair," Warnecke said. "It is reflective of the great work that is happening in our schools across the state, and it still maintains very high expectations for our students."