As students begin to transition back to school following two academic years riddled with classroom disruptions, districts are flush with federal cash. To help the tens of thousands of students who have fallen behind academically, some districts, including KIPP Indy Schools, have turned to tutoring services.

Results published by officials during the Indiana State Board of Education meeting Wednesday confirm the expected drop in scores on the state's ILEARN exam.

Some Marion County schools earned the lowest passing rates on the state’s latest standardized test. And long-standing achievement gaps for low-income students and Black students at some Indianapolis school districts remained far below their peers and the statewide average.

Early reports of ILEARN results indicate a significant drop in math and English scores.

Last year, assessments were canceled because of the pandemic, and disruptions continued into this school year, which prompted many officials to expect a decline in student scores.

Some parents of online learners still have lingering concerns about sending their children back to school specifically for in-person standardized tests but the state says most students have already taken their federally required assessments, and there aren't consequences if they don't.

Indiana has extended some testing timelines and is considering others for later spring tests like ILEARN. But so far the state isn't planning to offer remote testing or reduce the number of questions on any state exams.

The cancellation of spring testing because of the COVID-19 pandemic means the state didn't have new ILEARN data to calculate this year's grades.

In a memo sent to superintendents late Friday, the Indiana Department of Education announced Indiana would seek "forgiveness" for required state tests, including the IREAD-3 and ILEARN.

The bill grants a two-year delay on schools receiving a lower A-F state rating based on scores from the 2019 or 2020 ILEARN exams. It also prevents the scores from being used in teacher evaluations.