INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana education officials are expecting to provide schools with results from this year’s ISTEP standardized exams in mid-August, weeks earlier than a year ago.

The state Education Department plans on giving test results to schools Aug. 16. Those tests were taken in last spring by more than 400,000 students across the state.

School districts received results of the spring 2016 exams in September and October last year. That followed troubles blamed on the state’s previous testing company which delayed results of the spring 2015 exams until January 2016.

State schools Superintendent Jennifer McCormick tells WISH-TV the earlier results will help schools and teachers better prepare student instruction and teacher evaluations.

Statewide ISTEP results are expected to be reported to the State Board of Education next month.