The Ghost Rubric: When Requirements Reference Tests That Don't Exist

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:30:00 -0600

Oak Park Elementary School District 97 switched assessment platforms sometime between 2023 and 2025.

Out with MAP and AimsWeb+. In with STAR.

It’s now November 2025—midway through the school year.

The district still hasn’t published updated acceleration rubrics showing how STAR assessments will be scored.

And the rubrics that are published? They reference tests the district stopped giving two years ago.

This isn’t just a documentation problem. It reveals something deeper about how the district handles acceleration, communicates with families, and manages basic operational competence.

STAR on Acceleration Denied

The Ghost Rubric: When Requirements Reference Tests That Don't Exist