Will County schools show wide swings on meeting state academic standards

Will County — Will County schools received their Illinois State Board of Education report card scores this week, and the results are mixed. While some districts, including Will County School District 92 and Plainfield District 202 met or exceeded the state averages, others fell short in all subject areas.

Overall, the ISBE said scores were up across the state from 2022, but still had not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

The state average proficiency score in English Language Arts was 34.6%, an almost five-point increase over 2022. The state average math proficiency score for districts was 26.9%, which represented a 1% increase over 2022, and the reported average score for science proficiency was 51.8%, just under 2% higher than last year.

Will County School District 92

Will County School District 92 in Lockport performed higher than the state average in all three evaluated subject areas, with 53.2% of students surpassing proficiency standards in ELA, 33.8% scoring proficiently in math, and 68.6% meeting or exceeding standards in science. These results also show in-district improvement in all subjects over 2022.

District 92 has an unusually low teacher-to-student ratio with about 11 students per teacher, which may be explained by the district’s high per-student spending of about $20,000 per year. The district also has a relatively low percentage of its student population which qualifies as low income, at 23.5%.

In a statement to the Herald-News, the district office said, “Will County School District 92 is proud of the hard work our teachers and staff demonstrate each and every day.”

The statement noted that the district had set a goal of exceeding 50% proficiency in ELA three years ago and was pleased to meet it, while math “continues to be a focus for improvement” including initiatives to overcome learning gaps which remain from the pandemic for individual students.

Richland School District 88A

Richland School District 88A exceeded state average test scores in two of the three tested subject areas. Richland students tested with 45.1% proficiency in ELA and 65.9% proficiency in science, which marked a slight decrease from 2022. Math, however, saw a decrease in the district’s results for 2022 to 20.7% proficiency.

Richland’s student to teacher ratio is exactly at the state average of 17 to 1 and the district spends about $16,000 per student per year, in a district where 54.6% of the students qualify as low income.

Plainfield School District 202

Plainfield School District 202′s kindergarten through eighth grade students exceeded state averages in all three subject area proficiencies. Across the district’s 25 elementary and junior high schools the average proficiency in ELA was 42.1%. The average math proficiency score was 32.5%, and the average Science proficiency score was 61.9%.

Individual school results varied with most showing improvement in scores over 2022, and all schools achieving “commendable” or “exemplary” designations.

Despite its large size, the district has one of the lowest per-student annual spending rates in the area, with schools spending between $12,000 and $13,0000 per student. The student to teacher ratio for the district also varies widely by school with an average just over 17 teachers per student, and individual schools varying from 13 to 20 teachers per student, though there does not seem to be a strong correlation between the higher student-to-teacher ratio buildings and the school’s test scores.

Across the district the average percentage of low-income students per school is 37.8, although this again varies widely by school with the lowest being near 20.6%, and the highest being 47.8%.

Joliet School District 86

Joliet School District 86 showed improvements over its scores from 2022 but did not meet state standards in any of the three subject areas. ELA proficiency across the district’s 19 schools was 18%, while math scores were at 9.7% proficiency and science tested at 30.1%.

“We are pleased with the growth we’ve seen since last year,” said Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Ankhe Bradley. “We had over a 4% increase in meets or exceeds standards in ELA, and a 1.2% increase in math. We’re also very proud of our students at Eisenhower Academy, which was a celebration point for the district.”

“We’re still suffering the effects of the pandemic, but we’re starting to see gains. We’re glad see that steady growth across the district, and our internal data shows that our students have improved again from last fall to now.”

—  Dr. Theresa Rouse, superintendent of Joliet District 86

Eisenhower Academy, which is a magnet program serving students in grades 1 through 5 who meet certain proficiency standards, was the district’s only school to earn an “exemplary” designation from the state with ELA and math scores which more than doubled the state average, at 78.1% and 63.5% respectively.

Five of the district’s schools, A. O. Marshall Elementary School, Edna Keith Elementary School, Farragut Elementary School, Pershing Elementary School and Sator Sanchez Elementary School, were designated as “targeted” for their test scores.

“What we’re seeing is a slow, steady improvement,” Superintendent Dr. Theresa Rouse said. “We’re still suffering the effects of the pandemic, but we’re starting to see gains. We’re glad see that steady growth across the district, and our internal data shows that our students have improved again from last fall to now. We have amazing teachers and everyone is working hard to help meet the individual needs of our students.”

Rouse said the district is “focusing on growth” while Bradley noted that the district is in its second year of new curriculums for ELA and Spanish Language Arts, which serves about 16% of the district’s students in its bilingual program. Bradley also said the district is currently piloting a new math curriculum, which it hopes will improve growth in that subject area.

Across the district, the average student to teacher ratio for schools is 19 to 1, with the district spending about $17,000 per student per year. The district is mostly made up of low-income students, with the district reporting 95.4% of students qualifying as low income with some schools, including Eisenhower Academy, reporting 100% of the students meet those criteria.

Chaney-Monge School District 88

Chaney-Monge School District 88 tested below state proficiency standards in all three subject areas. Students tested at 17.2% proficiency in ELA, 7.6% proficiency in math, and 40.2% in science, though all three of those scores showed improvement from 2022.

District 88 meets the state average student to teacher ratio of 17 to 1 and spends about $16,000 per student per year at its one Crest Hill school, where 77.8% of the students qualify as low-income.

Troy CC School District 30C

Troy Community Consolidated School District 30C exceeded state average scores in ELA and science, and tested just beneath the state average in math. The district’s ELA proficiency was 37.8%, which was an improvement from 2022. Troy students also scored 59.6% proficiency in Science and 25.6% proficiency in math. Although these scores are near or above the state average, the Math and Science scores both represent a decrease for the district since 2022.

Troy CCSD 30C spends about $15,000 per student annually at its seven schools, which have a teacher to student ratio of 15 to 1. The district also reports that just under half, 48.6% of its students qualify as low-income.

A full breakdown of each school’s scores and student demographics within each district and scores for other Will County School Districts not addressed above can be found at IllinoisReportCard.com.