April Testing Overview

As the weather warms up and students look to finish their school year strong, standardized testing is one of the final pushes in April. 

To ensure your student can give their best performance before standardized testing, be sure to do the following: 

• Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep the night before testing
• Ensure a healthy breakfast on the mornings of testing
• Make sure that your child attends school and arrives on time on the days of testing
• Let your child know that you have confidence in their ability to do their best
• Remind your child to ask the teacher questions to clarify directions
• Advise your child not to worry about the test—just to do the best they can

EPHS

EPHS Juniors will be taking the ACT at school on April 16th. The ACT is a graduation requirement in Illinois, and no registration is required. This school year marks the first time Illinois is using the ACT since 2016, when it began using the SAT.

Students only have to take the ACT once, but College & Career Counselor Paige Kozyra encourages students to explore their strengths in testing.

“Many colleges accept either ACT or SAT scores equally, and students do not have to take both exams,” she said. “However, since the ACT and SAT are structured differently, some students may want to try both test formats to see which one aligns better with their strengths.”

Each college has a unique scoring policy, so she encourages students to make sure they know what each school they are interested in needs—some require ACT or SAT scores, others are test-optional, and a few are test-blind. She cites FairTest.org as a resource for identifying test-optional or test-blind colleges.

For any 9-12 students interested in additional Saturday ACT test dates, they can register online at ACT.org. Students may also choose to take the SAT, but they will need to register independently at SAT.org. Fee waivers for both the ACT and SAT are available through the counselors for students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. These waivers also provide access to free ACT prep materials. For more information on the ACT, check out ACT.org

ACT-SAT Concordance Tables Free Practice Resources What Juniors Need to Know

3rd -8th Grade

Students in grades 3-8 will take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) throughout April. The IAR aligns with the Illinois Learning Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The IAR helps evaluate individual student growth, along with providing data to improve standards, curriculum, and instruction in the classroom. The District expects to receive score reports in the fall.

“We all work together to ensure students build a cohesive understanding of reading and mathematics over time,” Darak Naglak, Executive Director of Curriculum & Instruction, said. “Thank you for your role in developing lifelong learners and successful citizens.”

To find the exact dates for your student and if you have any questions, read all communication from their teacher and principal and reach out to them for further questions.