Iowa · 2026 score reports
ISASP Scores Explained:
2026 Results & New Levels
Last reviewed against Iowa Department of Education and Pearson sources
Quick answer
When do 2026 ISASP results come out?
Scale scores went to schools on April 15, 2026, but ELA and math performance levels are not out yet. Iowa is replacing Advanced, Proficient and Not Yet Proficient with four levels: Below, Approaching, Meeting and Exceeding Grade-Level Expectations. The cut scores go to the Iowa State Board of Education this fall, and the Iowa Department of Education says it is likely to follow 2019, when cut scores and statewide results came out in November.
Source: Iowa Department of Education: Student Assessment · Updated
Next step
Get ahead of the March 2027 test
Iowa's 2027 window opens March 8. Practise grade 3-8 math and reading with every answer explained, starting with the areas your child's report marks Low.
Start practising →Try ISASP practice questions
Practice ISASP Questions
Pick your child's grade to start. No signup required.
Where the 2026 results are
Pearson's January plan had 2026 results reported in August 2026. Instead, a public comment round ran through October 9, and Pearson says district and state reports for 2026 come only after the standard setting is complete.
Source: Iowa Department of Education: Student Assessment (read October 27, 2026).
What the 2026 report already tells you
Scale score: ready now
Iowa kept the same vertical scale, so a 500 in 2026 means the same as a 500 in any earlier year. Compare it with last year's score to see growth.
Performance level: not yet
The level for ELA and math is left blank until the Iowa Department of Education and the State Board approve the new cut scores.
Domain scores: ready now
Each reporting area is marked Low, Middle or High. For 2026 these were set so about 20% of students are High, 60% Middle and 20% Low statewide.
Depth of Knowledge: ready now
How well your child handled questions of different levels of cognitive complexity.
The old score ranges for Proficient and Advanced, set in 2019, are only valid for scores earned through 2025, so do not use them to read a 2026 score.
The four new levels
They replace Advanced, Proficient and Not Yet Proficient, and Iowa is dropping the word "Proficiency". The names are proposed until the State Board votes.
Exceeding Grade-Level Expectations
Performing above what is expected at this grade on the Iowa Academic Standards.
Meeting Grade-Level Expectations
The on-track level. Pearson says the cut score for Meeting is the score a student needs to be considered on track.
Approaching Grade-Level Expectations
Close to grade-level expectations but not there yet.
Below Grade-Level Expectations
Below what is expected at this grade on the Iowa Academic Standards.
The cut scores for each grade are not public yet. We will add them here, with a lookup for your child's score, as soon as the Board approves them.
Source: Pearson: Changes with ISASP Reporting for 2026
Source: Iowa Department of Education: proposed achievement levels
How Iowa is setting the new levels
- Spring 2026First new state test aligned to the 2024 Iowa Academic Standards, in ELA and math grades 3-11.
- April 15, 2026Scale scores posted to schools and districts, without ELA or math performance levels.
- April-May 2026Statewide survey on the performance level descriptors.
- June 8-12, 2026About 155 Iowa educators met for five days to advise on the cut scores.
- Sept-Oct 9, 2026Public listening sessions across the state; online comments closed October 9.
- Fall 2026Technical Advisory Committee reviews the feedback; the final recommendation goes to the State Board of Education.
- Likely NovemberThe department expects to follow 2019, when cut scores and the share of students at each level came out in November.
Source: Iowa Department of Education: Student Assessment
Source: Iowa Department of Education: September 3, 2026 announcement
Source: Iowa Department of Education: April 29, 2026 announcement
Science stays on the old levels for now
The new levels start with ELA, reading and math. Science moves to the four levels after the spring 2027 test. From 2026-27, science is tested in grades 5, 8 and 11; grade 11 replaces grade 10.
Source: Pearson: Changes with ISASP Reporting for 2026
Source: Iowa Department of Education: 2026-27 Required Student Assessments
Getting ready for spring 2027
The 2027 window runs March 8 to May 7, 2027, and your district picks its days inside it. While you wait for the 2026 level, the report already points the way: compare the scale score with last year's, and start with the domains marked Low.
Source: Iowa Department of Education: 2026-27 Required Student Assessments
More on the test itself: ISASP prep for grades 3-8.
Questions parents ask
When do 2026 ISASP results come out?
Scale scores went to schools on April 15, 2026. The new performance levels come after the Iowa State Board of Education approves the cut scores. The department cannot commit to a date for the Board, but says it is likely to follow the 2019 timeline, when the cut scores and the percentage of students at each level were released in November.
Why don't the 2026 ISASP reports show Proficient?
Iowa gave a new test in spring 2026, aligned to the Iowa Academic Standards adopted in 2024. The old levels (Advanced, Proficient, Not Yet Proficient) and their cut scores from 2019 are only valid for scores earned through 2025. Iowa is also dropping the word "Proficiency"; the new levels are Below, Approaching, Meeting and Exceeding Grade-Level Expectations.
What does my child's 2026 ISASP scale score mean?
Iowa kept the same vertical scale, so the 2026 scale score compares directly with your child's earlier ISASP scale scores: a 500 is a 500 in any year. A higher score than last year shows growth. What it does not tell you yet is which new level the score falls in; that needs the cut scores the State Board approves.
What score is Meeting Grade-Level Expectations?
Not published yet. Educator panels advised on the cut scores in June 2026, and the final recommendation goes to the State Board of Education this fall. We will add the cut score for every grade here as soon as the Board approves them.
Can I compare 2026 ISASP results with earlier years?
Scale scores, yes. Levels and percentages, no: the department says the 2026 results reset the baseline, and Pearson says 2026 results cannot be compared with prior years on performance levels.
Does science use the new levels?
Not yet. Pearson says the four levels are reported for ELA, reading and math from spring 2026, and for science after the spring 2027 test. From 2026-27, science is tested in grades 5, 8 and 11 (grade 11 replaces grade 10).
Is ISASP still the name of the test?
The Iowa Department of Education now calls it the state summative assessment, "formerly called the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress or ISASP". Schools and Pearson still use ISASP. It is not the same as the Iowa Assessments (ITBS).
When is the next ISASP test?
The 2027 window is March 8 to May 7, 2027. Your district picks its own testing days inside it.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these Iowa Department of Education and Pearson sources. Last reviewed .
- Iowa Department of Education: Student Assessment (new 2026 state summative assessment)
- Iowa Department of Education: public comment on the proposed achievement levels (September 3, 2026)
- Iowa Department of Education: public input on performance level descriptors (April 29, 2026)
- Pearson (Iowa test vendor): What to Know About the 2026 ISASP Results, updated 4/24/2026 (PDF)
- Pearson (Iowa test vendor): Changes with ISASP Reporting for 2026, updated 1/9/2026 (PDF)
- Iowa Department of Education: 2026-27 Required Student Assessments and Training (PDF)