Standardized test cheat sheet

NCLB: Federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which requires states to measure each public school's and district's achievement on standardized tests. Each year a threshold is set for the number of students in all subgroups expected to meet state standards, with the goal of having every student perform at grade level by 2014. This year's target was 70 percent, up from 62.5 percent last year.

Illinois Standards Achievement Test: Standardized test given to third- through eighth-graders each spring. The percentage of students who perform at grade level determine whether a school passes or fails.

Prairie State Achievement Exam: Springtime exam for eleventh-grade students composed of the ACT test and the practical, WorkKeys job skills test. Like the ISAT, the percentage of students who pass or fail this test determines a school's fate.

School Improvement: The state's watch list. A school moves into "improvement" status if it misses its goals for two consecutive years. If it continues to fail to meet state standards, sanctions and corrective actions - including regular visits from state officials and implementing restructuring plans - are imposed.

"Safe Harbor": No Child Left Behind provision that helps schools pass through a combination of factors even if scores are below targets. Schools can be considered passing if the number of students in each subgroup meeting targets are within 10 percent of the set threshold, and either state graduation rates or attendance rates are met.

Sources: Illinois State Board of Education, U.S. Department of Education