Assessment Guide
Preparing your student for academic success means staying informed about required assessments. This document provides essential details about upcoming assessments, including the ACCESS for ELLs, DLM, PreACT Secure, ACT assessment and Illinois Fitness Assessment. These support your student’s learning and fulfill state and federal requirements under the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
Please review this information and contact us with questions.
Together, we can ensure your child is well-prepared continues to thrive academically.
Key Dates
Students with approved test accommodations may have extended testing hours and need to test over multiple days.
Pre-ACT and ACT: Palatine and Conant
Students with approved test accommodations may have extended testing hours and need to test over multiple days.
*Note: Some seniors may need to take the ACT to meet graduation requirements. If this applies to your child, you will receive communication from your student’s guidance counselor.
Pre-ACT and ACT: Fremd, Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates
*Note: Some seniors may need to take the ACT to meet graduation requirements. If this applies to your child, you will receive communication from your student’s guidance counselor.
Students with approved test accommodations may have extended testing hours and need to test over multiple days.
On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, juniors (Grade 11) are required to take the ACT with an essay. This state-funded assessment fulfills the Illinois School Code 105 ILCS requirement that students take the state’s assessment to be eligible to receive a regular high school diploma, unless eligible to take the alternative assessment or otherwise exempt from testing. Students can elect to send these ACT scores to specific colleges and universities as part of the assessment process.
What is the ACT?
The ACT is a standardized assessment designed to measure college and career readiness. It assesses students’ skills in key academic areas and serves as an important college admissions and scholarship tool.
Assessment Sections
The ACT consists of five mandatory sections for the state required assessment.
- English
- Mathematics
- Reading
- Science
- Writing
Why is the ACT Important?
Completion is a graduation requirement for high school students in Illinois
Provides a benchmark for college readiness in English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science
Helps students identify academic strengths and areas for growth
Plays a key role in college admissions and scholarship opportunities
Required state assessment as part of the Illinois State Board of Education's (ISBE) compliance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
When and Where Will the ACT Take Place?
The ACT will be administered online Tuesday, April 15 at your student’s school. As the date approaches, the Student Services Department will share details about testing times and locations. Students should ensure their school-issued iPad is fully charged.
Seniors (Grade12)
Seniors who still need to take the ACT for eligibility to receive a regular high school diploma per Illinois School Code will be notified by the Student Services Office.
Seniors who have satisfied their ACT graduation requirement do not need to report for testing. We recommend your student pursue educational opportunities independently. These may include:
Volunteer work
College/university exploration or visits
Business/industry visits and job shadowing
What are the PreACT Secure 9 and PreACT Secure 10 Assessments?
The PreACT Secure 9 and PreACT Secure 10 are standardized assessments designed to measure college and career readiness for students in grades 9 and 10. These assessments provide practice for the ACT and valuable feedback on students' academic progress in key subject areas. For more information visit: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/preact.html
Why are the PreACT Secure Assessments Important?
Help students understand their academic strengths and areas for improvement
Provide early preparation and insight for the ACT
Assist teachers in planning targeted instruction to support students' success
Assessment Sections
Both assessments cover the following subject areas.
English: Measures language skills, including grammar and usage.
Mathematics: Assesses problem-solving and quantitative reasoning.
Reading: Evaluates reading comprehension skills.
Science: Tests understanding of scientific concepts and data interpretation.
When and Where Will the PreACT Secure Assessments Take Place?
PreACT Secure 9 and PreACT Secure 10 assessments will be administered online Wednesday, April 16 at your student’s school. Students will be dismissed after the completion of the assessment.
What is the ACCESS Assessment?
ACCESS for EL is a comprehensive assessment that evaluates students' proficiency in the four key language domains: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. The assessment helps educators and schools better understand how students progress in their English language development and provides valuable data to guide instructional decisions and support. All students identified as English Language Learners (ELs) are required to take this assessment annually until they reach English proficiency. Results will be shared with families once they are available and used by teachers to support academic growth.
Why is the ACCESS Assessment Important?
Provides a clear picture of your student’s English language development.
Helps teachers plan targeted instruction to meet your student’s language learning needs.
Informs decisions about exiting English Learner services when students reach English proficiency.
Meets state and federal requirements under the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to monitor the progress of English Learners.
Format and Sections
The ACCESS consists of four sections, each targeting a specific language domain:
Listening: Students listen to audio passages and answer questions to demonstrate comprehension. This section takes approximately 20–40 minutes.
Speaking: Students respond to prompts by recording their answers to assess their ability to communicate verbally in English. This section takes approximately 15–30 minutes.
Reading: Students read passages and answer multiple-choice questions to evaluate their reading comprehension skills. This section takes approximately 35–65 minutes.
Writing: Students complete written tasks demonstrating their ability to express themselves in written English. This section takes approximately 45–65 minutes.
When and Where Will the ACCESS Take Place?
The ACCESS assessment will be administered online between January 15 and March 4 at your student’s school. As the date approaches, the Student Services Department will share details about testing times and locations.
What is the DLM Assessment?
The Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) assessment is an alternate assessment designed for students in grades 9 to 11 with significant cognitive disabilities. It measures students’ knowledge and skills in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science, aligned with their individual learning needs.
Why is the DLM Assessment Important?
Provides meaningful information about your student’s academic progress.
Helps educators develop personalized instruction to support your student’s learning.
Meets state and federal requirements for alternate assessments under the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
Format and Sections
The DLM assessment consists of short tasks or activities tailored to each student’s abilities. These tasks assess skills in the following areas:
English Language Arts (ELA): Measures reading, comprehension, and communication skills.
Mathematics: Assesses foundational math concepts and problem-solving abilities.
Science: Evaluates understanding of basic scientific concepts and processes.
When and Where Will the DLM Assessment Take Place?
The DLM assessment will be administered on Tuesday, April 15 and Wednesday, April 16 at your student’s school. As the date approaches, the Student Services Department will share details about testing times and locations.
What is the Illinois Fitness Assessment?
The Illinois Fitness Assessment, given in grades 9-12, measures students' physical health and fitness levels across four key areas. This assessment fulfills the requirements set by 105 ILCS 5/27-6.5, which mandates physical fitness testing in Illinois public schools.
Areas Assessed:
- Aerobic Capacity: PACER test or Brockport test (adapted)
- Flexibility: Back-Saver Sit and Reach test or Brockport test (adapted)
- Muscular Endurance: Curl-Up test or Brockport test (adapted)
- Muscular Strength: Push-Up test or Brockport test (adapted)
Performance Categories:
- Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ): This category represents a level of fitness that helps guard against diseases linked to insufficient physical activity. Achieving this zone indicates that your child is in good physical health.
- Needs Improvement (NI): This designation highlights specific areas where your child can benefit from additional physical activity or targeted exercises to improve their health and fitness levels.
When and Where Will the Illinois Fitness Assessment Take Place?
The Illinois Fitness assessment will be administered between March 10 and April 11 during Wellness class. Your student’s wellness teacher will share specific testing dates.
Helping Your Student Prepare for Assessments
- Remind your student to bring necessary items, such as their school ID and pencils and an approved calculator, if applicable.
- Ensure your student's school-issued iPad is fully charged and ready for online tests.
- Ensure your student gets a good night's sleep and eats a health breakfast on testing day.
Ensure their school-issued iPad is fully charged and ready for the online test.
Talk with your student about the importance of doing their best.
Remind them that some tests are an opportunity to show what they have learned.
Talk with your student about the importance of taking their time and carefully completing each section of the assessment.
If needed, talk with teachers to get a full understanding of expectations and review options.
ACT Resources
The ACT with Writing Online Practice Tests - Click on “Practice Tests” once you have navigated to the TestNav sign on page. No login credentials are needed.
Preparing for the ACT ® Test Taken Online - This includes instructions for taking online practice tests, and highlights features and navigation of the secure web application in which they will take the test.
Preparing for the ACT® Test - Contains a full-length practice ACT with Writing test, test details, test-taking strategies, what to expect on test day, and a link to a Spanish version of this guide.