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New knowledge launched as we speak present Illinois college students proceed to rebound from pandemic-era educational setbacks in most metrics, however SAT scores proceed to drop.
Declining SAT scores mirror a nationwide pattern however come as extra Illinois college students are graduating from public excessive colleges, elevating pink flags for prime state training officers.
The Illinois State Board of Training’s newest report card knowledge present the four-year highschool commencement charge at 87.7% on the finish of the 2023-24 faculty yr, in comparison with 87.6% the earlier yr, and it has been steadily climbing over the previous decade. Nonetheless, commencement charges for Black and Latino college students are nonetheless low in contrast with white and Asian American college students.
About 31.1% of highschool juniors who took the SAT this previous spring have been thought-about proficient in studying, whereas 26.1% met or exceeded state requirements in math. That’s a drop from 2018-19 when 36.2% have been proficient in studying and 34.4% have been proficient in math.
Common SAT composite scores stood at 950.3 this spring, down from 960.9 final yr and 994.5 within the 2018-19 faculty yr.
State Superintendent Tony Sanders famous that Illinois’ accountability system put extra weight on commencement charges beginning final yr.
“Faculties have actually targeted on enhancing commencement charges for all college students, and that has yielded some important outcomes,” he mentioned. “How can we’ve got these wonderful positive aspects within the commencement charge with concurrently declining proficiency charges in highschool?
Sanders, together with state training officers, mentioned in a press convention final week that the state is engaged on an indicator of particular person development for college kids between ninth to eleventh grade. The indicator gained’t be part of the state’s accountability system for varsity districts and colleges, however it will likely be offered to excessive colleges to assist them perceive the place college students are every year.
The report card supplies perception into how Illinois’ 850-plus faculty districts are performing. The huge knowledge set contains info on a whole lot of metrics resembling take a look at scores, enrollment knowledge, continual absenteeism, highschool commencement charges, scholar participation in profession and technical teaching programs, enrollment in superior lessons, and trainer retention charges.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect college students’ educational progress throughout the state, there are indicators that present Illinois college students have regained floor in some metrics. Third by way of eighth grade college students are making progress on state standardized exams in studying and math, extra college students are taking superior lessons in highschool, participation in profession and technical training programs has elevated, and the variety of educators within the state has elevated for the reason that faculty yr 2017-18.
Put up-pandemic, Illinois colleges spent virtually $7 billion {dollars} on high-impact tutoring and staffing will increase. These funds dried up on the finish of September.
Listed here are some extra 2024 report card highlights.
Elementary college students see pre-pandemic numbers in studying, however not math
College students in third to eighth grade who took the Illinois Evaluation of Readiness, often known as the IAR, within the spring of 2024 noticed enhancements in studying and math general. In studying, 41.2% of scholars met or exceeded the requirements. That’s 5.8 share factors increased than in spring 2023 and three.4 share factors increased than in 2019.
Sanders attributed the advance in studying to greatest practices for instruction, curriculum, and trainer skilled improvement. He additionally talked about the state’s complete literacy plan.
College students are struggling to achieve pre-pandemic ranges in math, nevertheless. About 28.4% of scholars have been proficient in math in 2024, about 3.4 share factors decrease than in 2019 and just one.4 share factors up from 2023.
Sanders mentioned the state is engaged on a statewide math and numeracy plan to assist college students and improve proficiency.
Racial disparities proceed to persist. White and Asian American college students proceed to have increased math and studying proficiency charges on the IAR when in comparison with different scholar teams. About 52.2% of white college students have been proficient in studying and 38.7% in math, whereas Asian American college students have been 68.2% proficient in studying and 61.3% in math.
Black and Latino college students have seen a slight uptick in scores for the reason that faculty yr 2018-19, however scores on the IAR nonetheless lag behind white and Asian American college students, and sometimes college students are scoring decrease than the state’s common. About 28.6% of Latino college students and 21.8% of Black college students have been proficient in studying, whereas 15.6% of Latino college students and 9.1% of Black college students have been proficient in math.
Earlier this month, Chicago Public Faculties reported that about 30.5% of third by way of eighth graders have been proficient in studying on the Illinois Evaluation of Readiness 2024 spring examination, and 18.3% met or exceeded the usual in math.
English learners enrollment continues to climb
About 1.8 million college students have been enrolled in Illinois public colleges through the 2023-24 faculty yr, the identical as faculty yr 2022-23. In a name with information reporters, Sanders mentioned that general declines in enrollment began in 2015 and match the nation’s declining beginning charge.
Nonetheless, Illinois continues to see a rise in English learners. At school yr 2023-24, English learners made up 16.4% of complete enrollment, a 1.8 share level improve in comparison with the varsity yr 2022-23, when enrollment was at 14.6%. Sanders attributed the rise in newcomer college students to households escaping conflicts across the globe.
Total scholar demographics are shifting too, with growing enrollment amongst Asian American, Latino, and multiracial college students and declines within the variety of white and Black college students enrolling in public colleges
Absenteeism is down however increased amongst kindergarteners and highschool college students
When college students miss 10% of the varsity yr — about 18-20 faculty days — with or with out an excuse, they’re thought-about chronically absent. The share of scholars who missed this a lot faculty spiked through the COVID pandemic.
However the numbers have come again down. About 26.3% of all college students have been chronically absent through the faculty yr 2023-24, down from the 28.3% from final yr. Illinois noticed its highest continual absenteeism charge of 29.9% in 2021-22, when extra college students have been required to return to high school in individual.
This yr, the Illinois State Board of Training determined to have a look at the intersection between continual absenteeism and grade ranges and located kindergarten and highschool college students have been the most definitely to be chronically absent.
Samantha Smylie is the state training reporter for Chalkbeat Chicago protecting faculty districts throughout the state, laws, particular training and the state board of training. Contact Samantha at ssmylie@chalkbeat.org.
