Assigning an ILR level to a passage is one thing. Explaining that decision in language a student, colleague, or program committee can follow is another challenge entirely. SmartILR generates both — an ILR level placement and a written, descriptor-based justification that explains the reasoning in plain terms.
The justification SmartILR produces draws directly on ILR descriptor language tied to the assigned level. It doesn't just say a passage is ILR 2; it explains what characteristics of the text make it a 2, what would need to change for it to qualify as 2+, and why it is clearly above ILR 1+ in difficulty.
In programs that follow ILR or ACTFL frameworks, level decisions are often subject to review. A teacher who can articulate exactly why a passage is ILR 2 — with textual evidence and descriptor language — is far better positioned when those decisions are questioned by learners, supervisors, or accreditation reviewers.
SmartILR makes it practical to document those justifications consistently across a course sequence or test bank, rather than relying on informal judgments that are hard to defend later.
Beyond the written level justification, SmartILR can optionally run an Auto Rubric Justification that scores the passage across individual ILR rubric categories and explains each score. This is especially useful when preparing materials for a rating panel or when you want to surface specific areas where a passage sits at a borderline level.
Generate a Level Justification