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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

Illinois leans on national frameworks rather than writing its own from scratch. The state adopted the Common Core for math and English in 2010 and the Next Generation Science Standards in 2014, then built its other subject standards on national models in the arts, world languages, and physical education. The result is a course of study that lines up closely with what students learn in neighboring states, with Illinois-specific guidance layered on top.

  • Illinois State Board of Education — Illinois Fine Arts Standards (NCAS-aligned)
  • Illinois State Board of Education — CTE / Career Ready Practices
  • Illinois State Board of Education — Computer Science (K-12 CS-aligned)
  • Illinois State Board of Education — Health Education (NHES-aligned)
  • Illinois State Board of Education — Physical Education (SHAPE-aligned)
  • Illinois State Board of Education — Illinois SEL Standards
  • Illinois State Board of Education — World Languages (ACTFL-aligned)
Source: Illinois Illinois Learning Standards
The shape of K-12
A plain-language read of how the state runs school.
What students learn
Math and English follow the Common Core from kindergarten through high school, with reading and writing built around real texts and math built around a smaller set of ideas studied in depth. Science is anchored in the Next Generation Science Standards, so students run investigations and build explanations rather than just memorize facts. Social studies runs on an inquiry model adopted in 2016, asking students to work from sources to reach a conclusion.
How students are measured
From third through eighth grade, students take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness in reading and math each spring, with a science test added in fifth and eighth. High school shifts toward college-readiness testing: the PSAT 8/9 in eighth and ninth grade, the PSAT 10 in tenth, and a free SAT given on a school day to every eleventh grader. A federal NAEP sample runs every other winter in fourth, eighth, and twelfth grade for national comparison.
Frameworks adopted, by subject
The standards documents the state writes against in each subject.
Subject Framework Adopted Source
Mathematics
Illinois Learning Standards
2010View
English Language Arts
Illinois Learning Standards
2010View
Science
Illinois Learning Standards
2014View
Social Studies
Illinois Learning Standards
2016View
Computer Science & Digital Fluency
Illinois State Board of Education — Computer Science (K-12 CS-aligned)K-12 CS Framework-aligned
2016View
Arts: Visual Arts
Illinois State Board of Education — Illinois Fine Arts Standards (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Dance
Illinois State Board of Education — Illinois Fine Arts Standards (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Media Arts
Illinois State Board of Education — Illinois Fine Arts Standards (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Music
Illinois State Board of Education — Illinois Fine Arts Standards (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Theatre
Illinois State Board of Education — Illinois Fine Arts Standards (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
World Languages
Illinois State Board of Education — World Languages (ACTFL-aligned)ACTFL-aligned
2015View
Physical Education
Illinois State Board of Education — Physical Education (SHAPE-aligned)SHAPE-aligned
2024View
Health Education
Illinois State Board of Education — Health Education (NHES-aligned)NHES-aligned
2022View
Career Development & Occupational Studies
Illinois State Board of Education — CTE / Career Ready PracticesCCTC-aligned
2012View
Social Emotional Learning
Illinois State Board of Education — Illinois SEL StandardsCASEL-aligned
2020View
Assessments
The tests students take across K-12, grouped by purpose.

Other

Tests that do not fit the buckets above.

State Summative

Illinois Assessment of Readiness ELA (Grades 3-8)

IAR ELA is the spring summative test in reading and writing for grades 3 through 8, aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards for ELA.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

Illinois Assessment of Readiness Mathematics (Grades 3-8)

IAR Mathematics is the spring summative math test for grades 3 through 8, aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards for Mathematics.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

Illinois Science Assessment (Grade 5)

ISA is the spring science test in grade 5, aligned to the NGSS-based Illinois Learning Standards for Science.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

Illinois Science Assessment (Grade 8)

ISA is the spring science test in grade 8, aligned to the NGSS-based Illinois Learning Standards for Science.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

Illinois Science Assessment (Biology)

ISA Biology is administered once in high school after a biology course.

When given:
by course completion
Frequency:
once in high school
Official source
National College Readiness

PSAT 8/9

Illinois administers the PSAT 8/9 to students in grades 8 and 9 as a foundational measure of college and career readiness.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
National College Readiness

PSAT 10

Illinois administers the PSAT 10 to all 10th-grade students as a measure of college and career readiness.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
National College Readiness

SAT (School Day)

Illinois administers the SAT free of charge to all 11th-grade students as part of the state's accountability system.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
National Monitoring

NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)

Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.

When given:
biennial in winter
Frequency:
every two years
Official source
Browse by grade and subject
Pick a cell to see exactly what students learn that year.
Subjects covered
15
Grade levels
14
Standards on file
1,868
Assessments tracked
9
Most recent adoption
2024
Common questions
  • Does this state use Common Core?

    Yes, for math and English language arts. The state adopted the Common Core standards in 2010 and renamed them the Illinois Learning Standards. Science follows the Next Generation Science Standards, adopted in 2014.

  • What is the spring test, and who takes it?

    Students in grades 3 through 8 take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness in reading, writing, and math each spring. Grades 5 and 8 also take a science test, and high schoolers take it once after biology. Grades 9, 10, and 11 take the PSAT or SAT.

  • Do 11th graders really take the SAT for free?

    Yes. Every 11th grader takes the SAT on a school day at no cost, and the score counts toward the state's accountability system. Grades 8, 9, and 10 take the PSAT version that matches their year.

  • Which subjects beyond reading and math have state standards?

    Quite a few. Along with science and social studies, the state sets standards for computer science, the fine arts (including dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual art), world languages, physical education, health, career and technical education, and social emotional learning.

  • How often do the standards change?

    Not often. Math and ELA have been steady since 2010, science since 2014, and social studies since 2016. The newest updates are physical education in 2024 and health in 2022, so most subjects stay in place for a decade or more.

Sources
Every page link goes back to the state's own document.

Frameworks

Assessments