With the strain of increased taxes being continually foisted on taxpayers for "physical school improvements", why don't people look at the pathetic, dismal stats of the reading and writing abilities of our children? Here is a novel idea: eliminate bogus subjects and get back to the basics of reading and writing skills.
Illinois schools are
still struggling in reading and math proficiency, according to the most recent Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and NAEP data. Here’s the clearest, data‑grounded snapshot of where the state stands today.
📘 Reading (ELA) Proficiency — ISBE Statewide
Overall ELA proficiency:
52.4% of Illinois students meet or exceed grade‑level expectations.
Breakdown by major student groups:
- White: 64.0%
- Asian: 77.8%
- Hispanic: 40.2%
- Black: 31.1%
- Students with Disabilities: 26.0%
- Low‑Income: 36.7%
Grades 3–8 trend: ISBE reports ELA proficiency for grades 3–8 is at an
all‑time high, surpassing pre‑pandemic levels.
📗 Reading (NAEP) — National Benchmark
NAEP provides a tougher national comparison:
- Grade 4:
- 30% of Illinois students score “Proficient” or above (same as national average).
- Grade 8:
- 33% score “Proficient” or above (higher than national average of 30%).
This means Illinois looks stronger on NAEP than on its own state test—but still, only
1 in 3 students meet national proficiency benchmarks.
📐 Math Proficiency — ISBE Statewide
Math proficiency remains
significantly lower than reading:
- Overall math proficiency:
31.0% statewide.
Breakdown by major student groups:
- Asian: 61.3%
- White: 34.7%
- Hispanic: 27.9%
- Black: 20.4%
- Students with Disabilities: 15.3%
Key trend:
Math proficiency
still has not recovered to pre‑pandemic levels, despite slight gains in 2024.
🎯 What This Means for Illinois Families
- Reading: Improving, but still only about
half of students are proficient.
- Math: Troublingly low—only 3 in 10 students statewide meet grade‑level expectations.
- Equity gaps: Persistent and large across race, income, and disability categories.
- Local variation: Some districts (including in Kane County) have
single‑digit proficiency in both subjects.
Click here for video:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=XTugyu2F0pc&is=ooILGjUpMUDdtrkN
