Parents should really hear their children out before grounding them this fall. Those ISAT scores might not be as bad as they seem.

That’s thanks to a change in what the state calls “performance levels.” Test scores are grouped into four levels: exceeds standards, meets standards, below standards or academic warning. Many students will find that even as their scores on the ISAT – Illinois Standards Achievement Test – stayed consistent with years past, they’ve dropped out of the grade range they’re used to seeing.

The ISAT annually assesses students in math, reading and science, and it is used in part to determine whether students are meeting state and federal learning accountability measures.