Wilmette Feeder Schools Make Gains As New Trier SAT Scores Fall: 2024 Illinois Report Card

WILMETTE, IL — State education officials released Illinois Report Card data last month, detailing achievements and challenges at New Trier Township High School and each of its six feeder districts, including those in Wilmette and Kenilworth.

Statewide, Illinois schools showed a mix of record-breaking achievements and continuing challenges, as the 2023-24 school year saw the highest-ever graduation rate and record performances on elementary school literacy tests.

But proficiency rates for high school students continue to lag behind their pre-pandemic levels, and New Trier High School District 203 is no different.

Since 2019, SAT scores for New Trier students have declined in both English Language Arts, or ELA, and math.

The percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA declined from 81.6 percent in 2019 to 77.2 percent in 2024, a decrease of 4.4 percentage points.

In math, proficiency fell even farther, dropping by more than 10 percentage points from 80.7 percent to 70.4 percent in the past five years.

In line with statewide trends, New Trier has also seen its graduation rate increase, reaching 97.7 percent in 2024. That's up from 97.3 percent the prior year though it is below a pre-pandemic rate of 98.2 percent in 2019.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the achievements of Black students and state spending on career and technical development had contributed to the 87.7 percent statewide graduation rate, the highest in 14 years.

"These milestones demonstrate that our investments in students are delivering real results as Illinois continues to bounce back stronger from the challenges set by the pandemic," Pritzker said in a statement.

Nearly 41 percent of Illinois students in 3rd to 8th grade met or exceeded English standards, up from previous years and surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

“Illinois has seen tremendous, nation-leading recovery in English language arts, thanks to the talented teachers, principals, and superintendents in schools across the state who have worked diligently to implement shifts in their literacy practices,” said Tony Sanders, the state superintendent of education.

Black students led these gains with a 26 percent increase in proficiency, with improvements also noted among English learners, low-income students and those with individualized education plans, according to ISBE’s data.

"Our educators, students, and families should feel incredibly proud of how we have come together in the wake of the pandemic not just to recover but to emerge even stronger," Sanders said.

In math, however, progress has been slower, with just 28 percent of students in grades 3-8 meeting state math standards last year. Proficiency in math remains below pre-pandemic levels across race, ethnicity and income groups.

State education officials this year announced plans to implement a statewide math and numeracy plan, aiming for more evidence-based math instruction and prioritizing resources for foundational math skills.

Among New Trier's feeder districts, here are how scores have changed in the past five years on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness, or IAR:

In Glencoe School District 35, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding ELA expectations on the IAR rose from 63.1 percent in 2019 to 74.1 percent in 2024. In math, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations increased from 68.4 percent in 2019 to 74.2 percent in 2024.

In Winnetka School District 36, the percentage of students proficient in ELA remained steady at 72.2 percent from 2019 to 2024. In math, the percentage ever-so-slightly dropped from 72.6 percent to 72.0 percent in 2024.

There were drops in proficiency levels in Avoca School District 37, where the percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA dipped slightly from 78.0 percent in 2019 to 76.8 percent in 2024. In math, the percentage of students reaching these levels dropped more noticeably, from 72.2 percent in 2019 to 65.9 percent in 2024.

In Kenilworth School District 38, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA rose slightly from 73.1 percent in 2019 to 75.1 percent in 2024. In math, however, this percentage dropped from 73.9 percent in 2019 to 67.3 percent in 2024, reflecting a decrease of 6.6 percentage points.

As for Wilmette School District 39, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding ELA expectations increased significantly — rising from 65.8 percent in 2019 to 78.0 percent in 2024. In math, the percentage rose just over one point during the same period, up from 63.2 percent to 64.3 percent.

And in Sunset Ridge School District 29, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA rose from 72.1 percent in 2019 to 81.0 percent in 2024, marking an increase of 8.9 percentage points. In math, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations increased slightly, from 72.8 percent in 2019 to 74.6 percent in 2024, an improvement of 1.8 percentage points.

ISBE rates Illinois schools in five categories: "exemplary" for the top 10 percent, "commendable" for those doing well overall but not in the top 10 percent, "targeted support" for those with some student groups in the bottom 5 percent, "comprehensive support" for those at bottom that also have low graduation rates, and "intensive support" for schools that do not improve following comprehensive support.

Both the Northfield and Winnetka campuses of New Trier High School are considered exemplary.

Of the 19 elementary and middle schools in its feeder districts, nine of them are also designated as "exemplary": Middlefork Primary School, Sunset Ridge Elementary School, Crow Island Elementary School, Hubbard Woods Elementary School, Avoca West Elementary School, Central Elementary School, Harper Elementary School, McKenzie Elementary School and Romona Elementary School.

The rest are rated as "commendable."

The Illinois Report Card also showed a positive shift in attendance, with chronic absenteeism decreasing from 28.3 percent to 26.3 percent statewide.

High school students, however, continue to have the highest rates of absenteeism — defined as students who miss at least 10 percent of the school year regardless of their excuse — a factor ISBE connects to lower academic performance and graduation rates.

In 2019, 9.5 percent of New Trier students were chronically absent, but by 2024, that rate had increased to 14.5, though it fell significantly from a peak of more than 30 percent last year.

In NTHS District 203, the percentage of 9th graders who are considered "on track" to graduate remains at 99 percent, up from 98.1 percent in 2019.

Overall student enrollment in the district has fallen by 8 percent from pre-pandemic numbers, dropping from 4,021 students in 2019 to 3,700 in 2024.

During this period, Hispanic student numbers increased by nearly 48 percent, from 198 to 293, while the number of white students declined by 13 percent, from 3,205 to 2,783. Other groups, including Asian, Black and students of mixed race, remained relatively steady in their levels of enrollment.

Since the pandemic, the number of students per administrator in the district has decreased significantly. In 2019, there were 233 students per administrator in the district. But in 2024, that number was down to 176.2.

It nevertheless remains well above the state average of 135.7 students per administrator.

As for its feeder districts, the student-to-administrator ratios varied widely — all but one of them had more administrators than the state average:

• 81:1 in District 29 (six administrators)
• 109:1 in District 35 (11 administrators)
• 122:1 in District 36 (14 administrators)
• 102:1 in District 37 (six administrators)
• 74:1 in District 38 (seven administrators)
• 155:1 in District 39 (21 administrators)

At New Trier High School, the student-teacher ratio has been relatively stable — going from 13.1:1 in 2019 to 13.3:1 in 2024.

According to state officials, there are more teachers in the workforce than ever before but the state still has a shortage, especially ones who are bilingual or who work in special education or somewhere other than the suburbs.

Meanwhile, the state’s accountability system, which emphasizes graduation rates over academic growth in high schools, has faced scrutiny.

Currently, year-over-year growth counts for half of the "accountability" score for elementary and middle schools — but not for high schools, where graduation rates have a greater rate in the scoring rubric.

Starting next year, ISBE officials said they plan to include a growth metric in high school assessments to provide a clearer picture of academic progress, an adjustment officials hope will encourage schools to focus more on improvements in both student proficiency and graduation rates.

Full 2024 Illinois Report Card data for all public school districts in New Trier Township:

• New Trier Township High School District 203
• Sunset Ridge School District 29
• Glencoe School District 35
• Winnetka School District 36
• Avoca School District 37
• Kenilworth School District 38
• Wilmette Public Schools District 39