While reports of pandemic-related learning loss loom large locally and beyond, the two Naperville area public school districts received what has been characterized by hopeful news in new statewide report card data released Thursday.
Naperville School District 203 and Indian Prairie School District 204 each outpaced statewide averages in all key metrics of the report, which is released annually through the Illinois State Board of Education.
The data, which reflects performance in the 2021-22 school year, is still fresh and being reviewed, officials in both local districts said, and will be hashed over with elected officials in short order. Plans are in motion to have a robust discussion of the data at District 204’s school board meeting on Nov. 7 and at District 203’s school board meeting on Nov. 14.
District 203 Report Card Data
In this year’s report card, 12 of District 203’s schools fell into the top ranking “exemplary” category, while the balance of the other nine schools were deemed “commendable.”
Districtwide, chronic absenteeism stood at 20% in the 2021-22 school year, and the graduation rate was 97%.
In terms of proficiency scores across all grade levels, 62.6% of Naperville students reached the target benchmark in English language arts, compared to the state average of 29.9%. In math, 57.1% of District 203’s students achieved proficiency, compared to 25.8% across Illinois. Science, meanwhile, resulted in 80% proficiency within the district, compared to the 50% state average.
Another metric discussed within the report card data is the growth percentile for the ISBE’s assessment of readiness analysis. District 203 notched a 59% ranking in growth in math, compared to the 50% state average. In ELA, Naperville attained a 60% ranking, compared to the 50% state average.
“Regardless of where students are … we really like to see well above average student growth,” Patrick Nolten, District 203’s assistant superintendent for assessment and accountability, said. “That reflects that we’re catching up, making progress and students are growing at a rate that’s higher or more rapid than the typical rate of growth at the state level.”
IPSD 204 Report Card Data
Indian Prairie’s 2022 report card included 15 schools in the “exemplary” category and 16 schools in the second-ranking “commendable” designation.
“There’s some good things; there’s some things that identify areas that we’re going to work on,” Charles Sprandel, District 204’s executive director of research and assessment, said. “We have more exemplary buildings than we’ve ever had before. We, like everybody else in the state, have lower proficiency numbers in ELA and math at the elementary, middle and high school than we did when we look at pre-pandemic numbers.”
Districtwide, chronic absenteeism stood at 16% in the 2021-22 school year, and the graduation rate was 95%.
In terms of proficiency scores across all grade levels, 49.4% of IPSD 204 students reached the target benchmark in ELA, compared to the state average of 29.9%. In math, 50.3% of District 204’s students achieved proficiency, compared to 25.8% across Illinois. Science, meanwhile, resulted in 75% proficiency within the district, compared to the 50% state average.
In the ISBE’s assessment of readiness analysis, Indian Prairie received a 57% growth percentile in math, compared to the 50% state average. In ELA, Indian Prairie attained a 75% ranking, compared to the 50% state average.
Looking ahead
Following presentations to the respective District 203 and District 204 school boards, forward-looking curricular and program decisions could be made in an effort to boost scores in upcoming ISBE report cards.
But officials in both districts indicated none of the data gleaned from the 2021-22 analysis has been surprising since both entities conduct internal assessments of their own throughout the school year. With routine in-person learning back this school year, there has been a renewed sense of optimism.
“We’ve been very happy that this school year’s felt much more normal,” Doug Eccarius, a deputy superintendent with District 204, said. “We feel that students have been responding well to that.”
Speaking to District 203, Nolten said, “Just like anything else, we don’t want to draw broad, sweeping conclusions, based on a single data point or two. We’d like to see a trend and go onto this spring and the spring after and continue to see improvement, both in growth and in terms of proficiency.”
Naperville News 17’s Dave Fidlin reports.
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