What does the 2023 Illinois Report Card say about Quad-Cities … – The Dispatch Argus

The Illinois Report Cards, released annually by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), are a one-stop-shop for comprehensive information on Illinois public schools.

Using a variety of metrics, these reports cover a range of areas, including academic progress, equity, student demographics, accountability and more.

Attendance and graduation

Illinois Quad-Cities school districts showed challenges with chronic absenteeism compared to state averages — with rates ranging from 34% at East Moline to 41% at United Township.

Considering the pandemic’s lingering effects, this data isn’t necessarily jarring for some school district leaders.

“Schools are still working to catch students up, academically,” said UT Superintendent Jay Morrow in an email. “When combined with social-emotional problems many are experiencing, there is much for students to overcome.”

To illustrate this point, Morrow noted current UT ninth-graders were in fifth grade at the start of the pandemic — prompting the district to focus on this student group.

“If a ninth-grader gets in a hole, (opportunities) to take classes that will help them prepare for post-graduation success are reduced because the student has to re-take a core class (e.g. math or English) later in their schedule,” he said. “Thus reducing an opportunity to take another course.”

Keeping freshmen on track was a 2023 IL Report Card metric Moline-Coal Valley Superintendent Rachel Savage dubbed, “still in recovery mode,” along with student attendance.

“Chronic absenteeism and truancy are improving slightly, but are still at alarming rates,” she said.

When analyzing the IL Report Cards, Savage said she and other district leaders compare student data from before, during and after the pandemic.

“(Moline-Coal Valley), like many across our state and nation, is still navigating the academic recovery process,” she said. “We are not exactly where we would like to be yet but are moving in the right direction.”

To up student support services after the pandemic, UT hired two mental health counselors and began hosting before and after-school tutoring programs.

This summer, the district also piloted a summer bridge program for incoming ninth-graders.

Still, Morrow considers UT’s graduation rate at slightly over 90% a win reflected in this year’s report card.

“This is a consistent goal of ours,” Morrow said. “However, the pandemic recovery continues with many students still struggling, thus it was a challenge to reach this threshold. I’m proud of our students, faculty and staff who helped (UT) get there.”

He added that graduation rates for certain student subgroups are even more striking.

“…Such as African-Americans at 92.9% — compared to the state average of 80% — and our Hispanic graduation rate of 91.9%, compared to the 85% (average),” Morrow said. “We certainly have room for growth to improve graduation rates, but have consistently made strong gains over the past 10+ years.”

Moline-Coal Valley’s graduation rate lands just one percentage point above the state average, at 89%, while neighboring Rock Island-Milan’s falls roughly 10 percentage points short at 77%.

To boost these stats, Rock Island-Milan officials are focusing on attendance and behavior this year.

“We will continue our focus on MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports) to support all learners,” district leaders said in an email to the Dispatch-Argus/Quad-City Times. “Instructional coaches continue to work across the district to assist staff and students with specific curriculum and instruction enhancements.”

Continued cultural competence work will accompany MTSS refinement, officials added, specifically noting the following tactics:

• Monitoring the district’s Tier 1 curriculum (i.e., universal or “core” instruction under the MTSS framework).
• Offering professional development opportunities for culturally responsive teaching.
• Hosting engaging, multicultural family and community events that intentionally focus on academic support strategies for both educators and parents — regardless of family demographics.
• Partnering with the QC Botanical Center for an attendance challenge, titled “Challenge 5.” Here, students are rewarded with general admission tickets for themselves and a family member for keeping absences at five or fewer by the end of the school year.

Savage was happy to see the Moline-Coal Valley remain above state averages for graduation, also noting post-secondary enrollment increases.

Student achievement

Illinois Report Cards use annual Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) assessments — administered three times a year, for grades three through eight — and SAT exams.

“Nearly all of our student achievement measures are showing steady recovery from the pandemic lows,” East Moline Superintendent Kristin Humphries said.

This year’s Report Card shows 17% English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency among East Moline students — a nearly 31% increase from pandemic lows.

“We still have a ways to go to get beyond our pre-pandemic high of 27% meeting or exceeding (grade level proficiency),” Humphries added, noting the district’s 12% math proficiency. “We have not yet closed the (pre-pandemic math) gap at 15%.”

The report cards also display each district’s demographical achievement gaps — i.e., persistent academic performance disparities between different student groups.

On this front, East Moline schools show smaller gaps than the state averages in nearly all categories. Humphries cited the following ELA data: 

• Hispanic/White: -6% (Ill. average: -22%)
• Black/White: -7% (State: -29%)
• Black/Hispanic: -1% (State -6%)
• IEP/No-IEP: -20% (State: -32%)

The district’s achievement gaps in math mirror similar trends. 

“We are also specifically engaging our administration in the planning of school improvement activities designed to close the gap between our various subgroups and continue the trend of rising academic achievement,” Humphries said. “We’re also reviewing our ELA and math curriculum and (instruction) to ensure we are utilizing the best of all.”

Rock Island-Milan data shows positive growth in students’ IAR and SAT performance expectations.

“Kudos to the staff, students, and parents/guardians as we have shown an increase in ELA (English Language Art) and math on both the IAR and SAT,” the district said.

While 2023 data shows a 17% ELA proficiency district-wide, more Rock-Island Milan students have either met — or are approaching — ELA performance expectations than prior years post-pandemic. 

To build this momentum, the district implemented a secondary literacy intervention for students below grade level in reading.

Despite an overall proficiency of 14%, Rock Island-Milan’s math scores reflect similar performance growth trends as its ELA stats.

Savage was happy to see growth in ELA proficiency and noted some other points she is taking away from the data. 

“More eighth-grade students are passing Algebra 1,” she said. “Math proficiency and participation in math and ELA assessments have remained relatively steady since last year.”

Moving forward, Savage hopes to see more growth in math and science assessments. The district landed at 16% in math proficiency and 39% in science, both below state averages of 27% and 52% respectively.

“ We are also looking at data beyond that which is covered in the (IL Report Card.),” she said, citing the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) benchmark assessments, given three times a year.

“(MAP) is showing great progress,” Savage added. “The fall (math and literacy) benchmark shows we are starting much stronger this year.”

She said many grade levels are showing twice the expected growth in math and literacy scores.

“Double the (MAP) growth means they are making this year’s and last year’s growth targets,” Savage said. “The recovery process is working.”

Moving forward, Savage said Moline-Coal Valley curriculum leaders will use benchmark data to continue adjusting instruction.

“We are training admin teams to have a deeper understanding of the focused skills behind each instructional standard,” she said. “We are capturing the instructional practices that are working in some classrooms and planning to scale outward.”

Demographics and retention

Aside from rising enrollment and student diversity, Moline-Coal Valley Superintendent Rachel Savage said the following demographic trends from 2021 to 2022 stand out:

• An increase in the English Learners (EL) program, to 17% of the student body.
• Students qualifying for free or reduced lunch has increased by more than 9%.
• Lessened student mobility
• Improved class sizes
• An increase in students meeting the definition of homeless, from 0.2% to 0.5%. 

East Moline schools have also seen demographic changes, Humphries said.

“Our African American, Hispanic and Asian populations also continue to grow as a proportion of students,” he said. “EL students now comprise 28% of the district, growing every year there’s data for.”

Moving forward, Humphries said the district will expand EL programming — noting bilingual education programs in Spanish, Arabic, Chin, French and Ewe — alongside newcomer services to support immigrant students.

On teacher retention, RIMSD, Moline-Coal Valley and UT were all above the 90% state average. 

Humphries is still proud of East Moline’s 87% retention rate. 

“The pandemic had a negative impact on teacher retention in most places, but I’m proud we took a big jump forward this last year,” he said. “It’s important that we continue to listen and support the work our teachers are doing in the classroom and support their well-being outside of the classroom.”

It’s important for district teachers to feel the same care they give students, Humphries added. 

Savage noted Moline-Coal Valley increased teacher salaries, a potential factor in the district’s high retention trends.

Summative designations

The Illinois Report Cards’ “Summative Designations” measure a school’s academic progress and student success, with a more narrow look at specific student groups. 

Designations include: 

• Exemplary: Schools performing in the top 10% of schools statewide with no underperforming student group.
• Commendable: A school that has no underperforming student groups, a graduation rate greater than 67%, and whose performance is not in the top 10% of schools statewide.
• Targeted: A school in which one or more student groups is performing at or below the level of the “all students” group in the lowest performing 5% of schools.
• Comprehensive: A school that is in the lowest-performing 5% of schools in Illinois and any high school with a graduation rate of 67% or less.

United Township High School touts a Commendable designation, as do 10 Moline-Coal Valley schools; six Rock Island-Milan schools and four East Moline schools.  

Rock Island-Milan has four schools listed as Comprehensive, and two as Targeted.

To improve these designations, district leaders plan to conduct a needs assessment of these schools.

“…And then, establish school improvement plans utilizing state-approved resources,” the district said in an email. “Our continued MTSS work will also help address the comprehensive (and targeted) school needs.”

Glenview Middle School was East Moline’s only Targeted school, due to results for students with disabilities. 

In conjunction with its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee, Humphries said the district is reviewing curriculum and instructional practices.

“To ensure we are utilizing the most effective resources and strategies to meet all students’ needs,” he said. “In addition, we are utilizing 1003a (school improvement) grant funds to purchase and train teachers in research-based math and reading interventions … and implement parent/family engagement activities, as parents are the first and most important teacher.”

Standardizing student data-collecting procedures (academic and behavioral) is another step East Moline leaders will take to better support students with disabilities, Humphries added.

Moline-Coal Valley — which has three comprehensive schools — has similar plans via a “multiyear process.”

“We take it very seriously. School improvement teams analyze the results and then prescribe changes (to yield) better results,” Savage said. “We have guidance and support from (ISBE) as well, in terms of resources, coaching and professional development.”

Additionally, she said the district’s three comprehensive labels are largely due to one or more student groups, “being substantially different from their peers,” such as students with disabilities.

“Interventions are being prescribed to address these specific student groups, curriculum is being analyzed and improvement teams are engaging in (problem-solving),” Savage said.