Frankfort School District 157-C Approves New Honors Criteria, Hires Student Services Director at April Meeting

Frankfort School District 157-C Board of Education Meeting | April 21, 2026

Article Summary: The Frankfort School District 157-C Board of Education on April 21, 2026, approved the hiring of a new Director of Student Services and reviewed sweeping changes to its honors program eligibility criteria that take effect for the 2026–2027 school year. The honors changes were prompted by state assessment overhauls and a vendor acquisition that disrupted the district’s existing benchmarking tools.

Honors Program Key Points:

• New honors criteria for grades 5–8 in both math and ELA will require a Performance Level 4 (“above proficient”) score on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness, plus a second qualifying measure.
• The changes were driven by the Illinois State Board of Education reducing IAR performance levels from five to four, and by the acquisition of the district’s FastBridge benchmarking tool by a larger company.
• Advanced ELA in grade 3 will be discontinued after this year; grade 4 Advanced ELA will run one more year before being replaced with embedded extension activities.
• Once admitted, students earning a “C” or better can remain in the honors pathway the following year, a lower bar than for initial entry.

FRANKFORT — The Frankfort School District 157-C Board of Education on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, reviewed a redesigned set of honors program eligibility criteria for the coming school year, responding to significant changes in state testing and the loss of a key assessment tool. The presentation, delivered by Director of Curriculum and Instruction Janet McClarence, was an information and discussion item and did not require a formal vote.

McClarence reported that the district’s Teaching and Learning Committee, composed of K–8 general and special education teachers and building administrators, met three times during the school year and focused its work on assessments. The committee’s review found that external factors had forced changes to internal placement practices.

The district had previously built its honors criteria around the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) and the FastBridge benchmarking assessment. According to the committee’s presentation, two developments made that approach unworkable going forward: the Illinois State Board of Education made significant changes to the IAR performance levels, moving from five levels to four, and FastBridge was acquired by a larger company that will alter its benchmarking in the future.

New Criteria Detailed

Under the new framework for the 2026–2027 school year, students in grades 5 through 8 must meet two criteria to be eligible for Honors Math: a Performance Level 4 (“above proficient”) on the IAR and a qualifying score on a new, locally developed math placement exam. Students earning a “C” or better in the course will be placed into Honors Math the following school year.

For Honors ELA in grades 5 through 8, students must likewise meet two criteria: a Performance Level 4 on the IAR and an “A” average on all ELA outcome assessments for the year. As with math, students earning a “C” or better will continue in Honors ELA the following year.

The presentation also outlined a transition plan for Advanced ELA at the elementary level. Advanced ELA in grade 3 will not be offered after this year and will be replaced with ELA extension activities written directly into third-grade units. Advanced ELA in grade 4 will be offered for one more year — with all students entering grade 4 in 2026–2027 evaluated under the new criteria — before being similarly replaced with embedded extension activities in 2027–2028. Students new to the district will be evaluated for honors placement based on a file review and the math placement test, and those whose prior data cannot be matched to district measures will be placed in core programming for a year while new data is collected.

Board members raised questions during the discussion about students who perform well in class but may not test well. McClarence indicated it was agreed the criteria need to be met for admission. Board members also asked about grading practices and were told that grades are tracked by quarter and final outcomes, with most students earning A’s and a 90% threshold defining an A. When members asked why the bar is set higher for entry into the program than for remaining in it, the explanation given was that so long as students demonstrate performance, they can remain in the class after initially qualifying. Members also sought clarification on the distinction between “Honors” and “Advanced” levels and were told the terms represent the same pathway under different names used at the two schools.

New Director of Student Services Approved

In separate action earlier in the meeting, the board approved an administrative employment contract for Michelle Nugent, who will serve as the district’s Director of Student Services from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The motion was made by Vice President Dr. Larry Kociolek and seconded by Ann Zaremba, and it passed 7-0 following the board’s return from a closed session on employment matters. Nugent thanked the board for the opportunity and said she is looking forward to working in Frankfort with the district’s families, staff, and students.

The Student Services position drew public attention during the meeting’s public forum, where speaker Meg Carlson outlined what she believes should be the qualifications for the new director and emphasized strong leadership and systems where students and parents feel heard.