IL Schools Pandemic Report Card: Test Scores Down, Absences Up

ILLINOIS — Fewer Illinois ninth graders are on track to graduate from high school, more students are routinely absent from class, and fewer are proficient in reading and math than before the pandemic. Those are the takeaways from the Illinois State Board of Education's 2021 report card.

Officials blamed declining test scores and rising absences on the global pandemic, now in its second year. According to the state board, fewer than 10 percent of Illinois students were learning in person when the year began, and nearly 70,000 fewer students were enrolled in public schools statewide. About 10 percent of students were chronically absent from class, with or without a valid excuse.

Testing data showed 16.6 percent fewer students met grade-level standards in English language arts than before the pandemic, and 17.8 fewer students were grade-level proficient in math.

Younger students seemed to suffer the effects of the pandemic more, state officials said. For example, about 5 percent fewer ninth graders are on track to graduate from high school than before the pandemic. State officials said students who are on track by ninth grade are almost four times as likely to graduate high school as those who fall behind in this crucial grade.

But, state officials said the report card holds glimmers of hope showing how schools also overcame the pandemic's challenges, adding more than 12,000 students to dual enrollment or advanced placement classes, and increasing efforts to recruit and retain teachers of color.

The state's graduation rate also held steady from previous years.

“The 2021 Illinois Report Card is a testament to the progress we can make when we invest in our classrooms — with more students than ever taking college and career preparation coursework — as well as the tremendous challenges the pandemic has created for school-aged children the world over,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. “As we move forward, helping our children process this experience and restoring their learning must sit at the heart of every action."

The governor touted more than $7 billion in federal funding that will go toward helping Illinois students recover from the pandemic, both academically and emotionally. According to the state board, the funds will go toward bridging the "digital divide" between students with access to the internet and those without, as well as helping students transition to college after graduation. The federal money will also fund a "high-impact" tutoring program starting in early 2022 to help students who fell behind during the pandemic.

"For months, my administration has been working hand-in-hand with school administrators across the state to ensure the $7 billion dedicated to renewing K-12 learning for Illinois students properly addresses this long period of disruption and devastation," Pritzker continued. "Together, with our incredible educators at the forefront, we are revitalizing our classrooms, student by student, for the betterment of all of Illinois."

According to the report card, 9,482 more students enrolled in dual credit in 2021 than before the pandemic; 2,885 more enrolled in advanced placement classes, and 954 more enrolled in career and technical education courses.

State officials said the governor's 2021 budget included about half a million dollars to cover the costs of AP exams for low-income students, opening the advanced courses to more students.

The state has also made efforts to recruit and retain more teachers of color, officials said. In 2021, the state hired 1,51 more Hispanic teachers and 184 more Black teachers, according to the state report card. Teachers of color now make up a greater percentage of the workforce than in previous years.

Hispanic teachers comprise 7.9 percent of the workforce, up from 5.6 in the 2016-17 school year, while Black teachers make up 6 percent of the workforce, up from 5.8 percent four years ago.

State officials said $2 million in federal funding will be dedicated to diversity efforts, including to create affinity groups for teachers of color.

Thanks in part to a minimum teacher salary law signed by Gov. Pritzker in 2019, teachers also got a 3.9 percent raise in 2021, with teachers now earning, on average, $70,705 per year. Officials said the pay raise and other measures helped retain 87.1 percent of teachers — a 1.4 percent higher retention rate than in 2020.

“We have witnessed both tragedy and heroism in our schools over the past year,” said state superintendent of education Carmen I. Ayala. “Students and educators have lost so much and lived and learned through unthinkable obstacles, but loss is not the whole story. Illinois’ schools also stepped up the rigor of high school coursework, ensured students still graduated and earned early college credit along the way.

"Our teachers have stayed in classrooms when we have needed them the most, and the number of people choosing this wondrous profession in our state continues to grow. We know we have a steep road ahead of us to help students regain skills in math and reading, and we are confident that we have the funding, supports, and talent in our schools to climb that hill.”

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