Illinois schools are down to two Râs as the state continues to slash its budget to meet shortfalls. The state now will assess only reading and arithmetic. High school juniors no longer will be tested on their writing skills during standardized exams every spring, saving the state about $2.4 million, according to a published report. Writing tests for elementary and middle school students already were dropped last year. http://couriernews.suntimes.com/news/6388950-418/illinois-cuts-writing-from-standardized-exam.html