Kansas State Department of Education
The Kansas State Board of Education has approved new cut scores for state assessments, reaffirming the state’s commitment to maintaining high academic expectations while ensuring a more accurate and fair measure of student achievement.
Kansas introduced a new assessment in 2025, and as is standard practice, cut scores were developed accordingly.
Kansas educators coming together to set cut scores also afforded an opportunity to address what multiple measures have shown to be a long-standing misalignment between assessment scores and actual student performance.
Through an in-depth study comparing individual state assessment results with ACT scores, AP coursework, dual credit, graduation rates and postsecondary outcomes, educators found that previous performance levels did not accurately reflect student readiness.
- Misalignment penalized students unfairly. Only about one in four Kansas high school students scored at Level 3 or 4 on state assessments, yet more than half went on to succeed in college or career pathways. Many students were told they were not “proficient” when they were, in fact, thriving.
- Kansas assessment cut scores were out of step nationally. In many cases, students had to score in the top 25% nationally to be labeled “proficient” in Kansas. Educators noted examples of students at Level 2 on state assessments earning ACT scores of 22 – an inconsistency that eroded trust in the system.
“This process is about accuracy, fairness and alignment, not lowering expectations,” said Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson. “Kansas educators led this process, using their professional expertise and data to set cut scores that reflect what our students truly know and can do.”
The new cut scores provide a more precise, transparent and evidence-based measure of achievement.
Terms to know
Cut Scores:
Cut scores are specific points on a test’s scoring scale that separate different levels of student performance. They determine the minimum score a student must achieve to be placed into a particular performance category – Limited, Basic, Proficient, Advanced.
2025 State Assessment Performance Level Descriptors:
- A student at Level 1 shows a limited ability to demonstrate their knowledge and skills of (third, fourth, fifth, etc.) grade (ELA, Math, Science) standards.
- A student at Level 2 shows a basic ability to demonstrate their knowledge and skills of (third, fourth, fifth, etc.) grade (ELA, Math, Science) standards.
- A student at Level 3 shows a proficient ability to demonstrate their knowledge and skills of (third, fourth, fifth, etc.) grade (ELA, Math, Science) standards.
- A student at Level 4 shows an advanced ability to demonstrate their knowledge and skills of (third, fourth, fifth, etc.) grade (ELA, Math, Science) standards.