Up until the past school year in high schools in Idaho, only 9th and 10th graders participated in taking the ISATS. This 2022-2023 school year, though, Idaho’s legislature, State Department of Education, and State Board of Education have decided to require 11th graders to participate alongside underclassmen in state testing. 

The Twin Falls School District has also concluded that to graduate, students must receive a proficient score on the 11th-grade level ISAT. However, whenever students meet this requirement in high school though, it does not matter. 

Grade requirements for ISATs are changing partly due to feedback from principals, superintendents, and parents throughout Idaho who thought it was unfair and unnecessary to require students to test in both the ISATs and SATs in high school. So, as of this year, Idaho does not require students to take the SAT and instead gives 11th-grade students state testing in place of the SAT. 

ISAT testing has also been moved to a requirement in 11th grade because Idaho views the ISATs as an exit test from high school. After all, it measures Idaho’s specific learning standards, so if a 9th grader can meet the 11th-grade standards, they should not be tested again.

“Education is cyclical in that new things come as students get smarter, and [educators] try to up our standards because you do not want to stay status quo,” states William Brulotte, the Associate Superintendent for the Twin Falls School District. 

ISAT testing will most likely never be moved into the 12th grade because juniors who did not receive a proficient or higher on their 11th-grade ISATs will need their 12th-grade year to redo those ISATs to graduate in the Twin Falls School District. 

Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are required to take the ISATs, but juniors need to receive a proficient grade or higher to graduate.