Scherer-Backed Measure Increasing Education Assessment Contract Transparency Passes Committee

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, is focusing on increasing accountability and transparency around the Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE) assessment contracts through a new measure, which recently passed out of committee, that introduces new reporting requirements for the state’s education agency.

“Taxpayers and parents deserve to know the full extent of where their money is going to support the education of our young people,” said Scherer. “This bill will create an open process to ensure that assessment contract renewals are scrutinized by stakeholders before another dime is spent.”

Scherer’s House Bill 2574 passed out of a key education committee on Wednesday. The measure will require ISBE to post information on the assessment contracts on their website such as the total length and annual cost of the contract. In addition, ISBE will be required to consult with stakeholder groups and their internal Balanced Accountability Measure Committee when considering assessment contracts. Scherer intends to increase the transparency around ISBE’s spending, especially as higher-ed institutions and scholarship organizations continue to move away from requiring assessment scores.

“For years, colleges and universities throughout the nation have been moving away from requiring the ACT or SAT for admissions, and now even scholarship organizations are doing the same,” said share. “I believe we can make reliable measures of student progress without stressing our students and compromising their education by teaching to the test.”