Questions & Answers

Prairie State Achievement Examination
Question and Answers for Parents of Illinois Students

Making Illinois Schools Second to None
Illinois State Board of Education

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What is the Prairie State Achievement Examination, or PSAE?

The PSAE is the state achievement test for grade 11 public high school students. It tests three academic subjects: reading, mathematics, and science.

What is the purpose of the PSAE?

The PSAE assesses the progress of both high schools and individual students in meeting the Illinois Learning Standards.

What are the Illinois Learning Standards?

The Illinois Learning Standards are descriptions of the specific knowledge and skills that students should learn in Illinois public schools.

To develop the Illinois Learning Standards, thousands of Illinois citizens - teachers, parents, school administrators, employers, community leaders, and representatives of higher education - contributed ideas about what students need to know and be able to do at five benchmark levels from the early elementary years through late high school. 

Thus, the Illinois Learning Standards have a real connection to entry-level jobs and post-high school education.

Where can I find more information about the Illinois Learning Standards?

A Parent's Guide to the Illinois Learning Standards (a brochure) and printed copies, call the Illinois State Board of Education at (217) 782-4321.

If you have Web access, you may read and download the full 144-page text at www.isbe.net/ils/

When do students take the PSAE?

 

Grade 12 students can opt to retake the PSAE in late October to raise their scores.

How is the PSAE administered?

Students are tested over two days. On Day 1 they take the ACT Assessment®, which includes English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning tests. 

On Day 2 they take tests developed by the State Board of Education in science, and two ACT-developed WorkKeys® tests, Reading for information and Applied Mathematics.

Should students with disabilities take the PSAE?

Students with disabilities should take the PSAE unless they have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that identifies regular state testing as being inappropriate for them, even with accommodations.

Decisions about participation and any need for accommodations that students with disabilities may have are made on an individual basis by each student's IEP team.

Should students in state-approved bilingual education programs take the PSAE?

Students in these programs should take the PSAE unless they have been in a program less 5 or more cumulative academic years.

Why does the PSAE include different kinds of tests?

The State Board of Education wants the PSAE to have value for individual students, so tests that will be useful to them are included.

The WorkKeys tests measure skills in mathematics and reading that employers believe are critical to job success. The ACT Assessment may be used for college admissions.

Why include tests that measure workplace skills on the PSAE?

Many employers use WorkKeys test scores to determine whether an applicant is suited for a particular job. High school students may use their WorkKeys scores to identify the reading and mathematics skills they have and those they need to acquire to qualify for different jobs.

Why should students who are not planning to go to college take the ACT Assessment?

The Illinois Learning Standards are for all Illinois students, not just those who plan to go to college. Taking the ACT Assessment, which is well aligned with the Illinois Learning Standards, gives students a measure of their academic strengths and weaknesses. 

Furthermore, students who do not want to attend college immediately after high school graduation may decide to go back to school graduation may decide to go back to school after they have worked for a time. The need for learning in the workplace is continuing; most high school graduates will eventually have to continue their education to achieve career or life goals. 

What scores do students get from the PSAE?

Students receive three PSAE scores, one for each of the subjects tested on the PSAE: reading, mathematics, and science. In addition, they receive scores for each of the individual tests that constitute the PSAE as well as the bonus of ACT Assessment results that they can report to colleges.

Must PSAE scores appear on transcripts as part of the student permanent record?

Yes. Student transcripts must include scores for each of the five PSAE subjects and indicate the subject(s) in which a student earned a Prairie State Achievement Award. Scores for the individual tests that constitute the PSAE, including the WorkKeys scores, may be included on the student temporary record but not the permanent record.

Must ACT Assessment scores be placed on student transcripts?

No. Schools should not automatically place ACT Assessment scores generated by taking the PSAE on transcripts. These scores should be included on transcripts only with a student's permission (or a parent's or guardian's permission if the student is less than 18 years old). 

What is a Prairie State Achievement Award?

A Prairie State Achievement Award is recognition of excellent performance on the PSAE. A student can earn an award in each of the three subjects that are tested. (There is no composite score or overall award for the PSAE.) Students receive a certificate in their senior year that indicates each subject in which they earned an award. 

Do colleges and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) accept ACT Assessment scores from the PSAE?

Yes. Colleges and universities throughout the United States and ISAC have indicated their willingness to use ACT Assessment scores reported from state testing.

Does the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) accept ACT Assessment scores from the PSAE?

No. The State Board of Education asked the NCAA to consider allowing state ACT Assessment scores to be used for initial eligibility, but the NCAA declined to change its eligibility rules. (The NCAA does accept scores from the grade 12 retake because the ACT Assessment for the retake is given at a national test center.)

Where can I find more information about the PSAE?

Call your local high school for more information, or contact the State Board of Education using the information given below. A test preparation booklet for students that includes questions and answers about the PSAE as well as sample test questions is posted on the Web Site.

Student Assessment Division
Illinois State Board of Education
100 North First Street
Springfield, IL. 62777-0001
Phone: (217) 782-4823
Fax: (217) 782-6097
E-mail: psae@isbe.net
http://www.isbe.net/assessment/psae.htm

Original Content printed by the "authority of the State of Illinois November 2002 300M MY99536 No. 680"