SPRINGFIELD — Teachers may soon be able to utilize a central, easy-to-find website that shows the current standardized tests the state has contracted, thanks to a measure led by State Senator Graciela Guzmán that recently cleared the Senate.   

“Without a public, state-regulated location, our teachers may waste hours of their already scarce free time searching for up-to-date information on what assessments their students will be taking so that they can adjust their curriculum for their success,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “By creating a standard website where this information is kept and updated, teachers will be able to better prepare their students and ease the burden they are facing now by doing this research in their spare time.”

State assessment contracts are agreements between a state government agency and a vendor for the administration of standardized assessments. Based on which standardized assessment the state is under contract with, teachers may need to alter their curriculum to properly prepare their students to get the best scores on these tests.

Under current law, ISBE is not required to post state assessment contractual information publicly, and there is not a central webpage to find this information. Instead, they frequently put out notices through their communications department when a contract or state assessment changes. However, these notices often do not include information about the contract’s costs, dates, or renewal information—all important knowledge for teachers to have when structuring their curriculum.

House Bill 2574 would require ISBE to publicly post information on any assessment contract that ISBE enters into, including the dates the contract is in effect, contract renewal options, and costs. It would also ensure ISBE works with stakeholders when making decisions on which contracts to pursue. These changes will give educators more transparency about any changes made to state assessment contracts. 

"The overreliance on high-stakes testing has flooded our schools with vendor-driven assessments that all-too seldom serve students’ best interests,” said Dan Montgomery, president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, who helped work on the legislation. “House Bill 2574 is a step toward greater transparency in assessment contracts and decision-making. As educators, we bring indispensable insights to the conversation about assessments. We want to partner with ISBE to help shape decisions that support student learning and strengthen our schools."

House Bill 2574 passed the Senate on Thursday. It now goes to the Governor’s Desk.