Naperville School District 203 continues to make strides in its academic achievement data, according to a recent report that focused on student growth this past school year in kindergarten through grade 8.
Patrick Nolten, assistant superintendent for assessment and accountability with Naperville 203, provided the board of education with an academic achievement update at a meeting Monday, June 16. The information came by way of an assessment tool known as MAP Growth from the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA).
Post-pandemic progress detected in analytics
The NWEA MAP Growth assessment was administered three times this past school year, in fall, winter, and spring. The assessment tool gauges student achievement in reading and math.
One of the statistical data points Nolten touched on in his presentation was percentile scores by race and ethnicity. Most individual student groups showed steady or improved scores, according to the data.
In reading, for instance, Black students scored a 48 percentile in spring 2025, up from the 44 percentile in spring 2024. Hispanic/Latinx students showed gains in math throughout the year, starting out at a 55 percentile last fall and inching up to a 64 percentile this spring.
“A lot of places still continue to struggle and recover and try to figure out how to support and fund post-pandemic recovery,” Nolten said. “We’ve done quite well as we’ve made it through.”
Speaking to the continued trending data in the years following the pandemic, Nolten said, “We just have a very high level of performance in all student groups. There are gaps, for sure, but everything is higher.”
NWEA’s MAP Growth one of several progress gauges
MAP Growth is one of several instruments used to gauge student achievement in Naperville 203. It is an optional tool, while standardized tests such as the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) are mandated across the state.
Nolten said MAP Growth is beneficial to Naperville 203 because it is able to distill information from large quantities of exams.
“Frankly, it’s the gold standard for assessment,” Nolten said. “We didn’t buy this at Big Lots. This is a good product. It does well. It stands up, relative to other opportunities to purchase other products. We use it universally, which means we are interested in how all students are doing.”
Naperville 203 continues to outpace averages
Naperville 203’s legacy of netting high achievement scores continues through a variety of metrics, Nolten said, whether it is in the form of traditional assessments or through such instruments as college admission ACT exams.
“Our typical (student) is usually around the 75th percentile rank,” Nolten said. “Our local 50th percentile student functions like a 75th percentile student nationally. I always call it a quartile shift. That shows up in all kinds of achievement measures.”
As for other assessments, such as the IAR, Nolten hinted at possible changes coming down the pike, in terms of cut scores and benchmarks for what is considered proficient. Current practices likely will remain in place for the 2025-26 school year, with possible changes occurring the following year.
“Whatever formula, whatever process the state of Illinois comes up with, we’re going to do quite well,” Nolten said.
At the recent board meeting, several members of the elected body said they were pleased with the information.
“It’s always great to hear the latest data and see the achievement of the students in the district,” board member Joe Kozminski said.
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