But the state has yet to intervene directly in any district because of poor performance. All the IGAP tests are being revised to align with the new standards, beginning in the coming school year. The new tests are supposed to measure the performance of individual students as well as schools. State officials have discussed creating a high school exit exam and making it easier for the state to intervene in low-performing districts, although no action has been taken so far. Revisions in the state tests were spurred, in part, by criticisms of the IGAP reading exams.
Critics claim that they permit more than one correct answer and produce invalid results.
Student scores on the test have declined in recent years, even though scores on other standardized tests and on college-entrance exams do not suggest that the reading abilities of Illinois students are waning. State Superintendent Joseph A. Spagnolo has defended the tests, while simultaneously supporting their revision. The money is to be used for professional development, disseminating research on effective methods of teaching reading, and promoting community-literacy partnerships. The schools chief has faced considerable criticism for alleged managerial lapses in the state education agency. A March 1997 report by the state auditor general cited 45 examples of what auditors viewed as mismanagement, including inadequate oversight of federal grant programs, personnel, and contracts.