Advance Illinois Statement on the Illinois State Board of Education 2022 Illinois State Report Card and 2022 NAEP Results

Contact: 
Eucarol Juarez

communications@advanceillinois.org

CHICAGO, IL (October 27, 2022) - Today, the Illinois State Board of Education released its 2022 Illinois Report Card. The results, paired with recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data, confirm the historic and profound impact the events and disruptions of the past two years have had on all students, especially students from low-income households, Black and Latinx students.  What we are seeing in this newest round of data are setbacks that go far beyond normal fluctuations. And while both reports include some good news, the hard reality is that it is going to take significant and sustained support, investment, and effort to ensure all students have what they need to thrive. 

It is good news that freshman on track rates and graduation rates improved over the past year (to 86.6% and 87.3% respectively), and even better news that those increases were driven by gains among students who are Black, Latinx, and from low-income households.  It suggests that schools are working hard to engage and support students, and we applaud them.  But in districts across the state, chronic absenteeism – typically a powerful predictor of later academic success – has risen alarmingly (to 30%), especially among Black (48%), Latinx (36%), and students from low-income households (43%).   Academic proficiency also dropped significantly on the Illinois Assessments of Readiness (IAR) and SAT across demographics, and across the state.  While 2021 results previewed these declines, low participation rates made it hard to draw firm conclusions.  This new 2022 data, coupled with NAEP results, paints a much clearer and troubling picture – that students have been deeply impacted by disrupted and lost instructional time, in addition to broader loss, economic dislocation and trauma. 

It will be tempting to take comfort in the fact that fourth graders held steady in Reading and Math on the 2022 NAEP (something very few states can boast), and that Illinois students beat national averages in Math and Reading at both the fourth and eighth grade levels for the first time. And student growth numbers suggest that for many students, academic learning began rebounding in 2022.  This is better news than we might have expected. But steady NAEP proficiency in fourth grade overall masks the fact that disparities in outcomes grew by race and income, and this widening gap mirrors growing disparities on the IAR and SAT.  Taken together, the data underscores how deeply Illinois students have been impacted, how serious our equity gaps are, and, like other states, that Illinois must maintain efforts to accelerate learning generally, and intensify supports for students of color and from low-income households who have been most impacted by disrupted schooling, community trauma, and loss. 

Finally, it is worth noting that enrollment of recent graduates into postsecondary studies continues to decline, and we have not yet re-engaged all the K-12 students we lost in 2021.  In addition, we await release of the state’s kindergarten readiness data (Kindergarten Individual Development Survey), which will provide a window into how our youngest learners have been affected by pandemic-related declines in early childhood access and opportunity. 

There are indeed some bright spots in the two reports.  We can, will, and should celebrate them, as they underscore the level and impact of renewal work around the state in the wake of once-in-a-century health, safety, economic and social challenges.  But we should not lose sight of the bottom line.  Our students have been impacted in historic ways.  Our response and support – already underway and showing some early promise – must continue to be every bit as powerful and historic. 

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About Advance Illinois  
Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a healthy public education system that enables all students to achieve success in college, career, and civic life. Since its founding in 2008, Advance Illinois has become a nationally recognized thought leader in education policy and advocacy. To learn more, visit advanceillinois.org 

Advance Illinois Statement on the Practice of Police Ticketing Illinois Students for Misbehavior in School

Contact:
Advance Illinois Communications
communications@advanceillinois.org

CHICAGO, IL (April 29, 2022) -  We want to bring to your attention a serious issue that was recently profiled in an investigative article by ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune as well as by a response from Dr. Carmen Ayala/ISBE. The article and letter outlined the practice of police ticketing students for misbehavior ranging from truancy to vaping to fighting.  While state law prohibits schools from imposing fines for misbehavior, it does not explicitly prohibit schools from alerting the police, who in turn issue tickets.  It turns out that many districts have reverted to this practice.  In addition to the hefty fees involved, this process brings students and families to court or administrative hearings (resulting in missed school and work) and creates legal records which cannot be expunged.

Many schools are reporting increasingly disruptive student behavior in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we appreciate the efforts educators are making to respond to challenging circumstances at a time when everyone’s mental health and well-being are frayed.  That said, we urge you to read the ProPublica/Chicago Tribune article, as well as the letter from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen Ayala.  In particular, we hope parents and school personnel will consider the alternatives and resources listed in the letter that the state is making available to strengthen schools’ ability to respond to disruptive behavior by addressing underlying issues in a way that leads to longer-term peace, increased student belonging, and well-being. 

This is a trying time for everyone. It is critical that we focus on and address the issues underlying student behavior in a way that supports healthy child development, that we give schools as many tools and resources as possible to do so, and that we share successful examples of local efforts to provide services that address the root causes of students’ disruptive behavior and lead to improvements in how students interact with others.

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About Advance Illinois
Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a healthy public education system that enables all students to achieve success in college, career and civic life. Since its founding in 2008, Advance Illinois has become a nationally recognized thought leader in education policy advocacy. To learn more, visit advanceillinois.org.

Advance Illinois Statement Regarding the FY23 State Budget

Contact:
Advance Illinois Communications
communications@advanceillinois.org

CHICAGO, IL (April 9, 2022) - The Illinois General Assembly has passed a budget that invests critical funds in crucial parts of our education continuum.

There are many things to celebrate in this budget, especially when it comes to our state’s education system. Increased funding for the state’s higher education system is way overdue, and we are elated the budget includes a historic increase of $122 million to MAP grants, the state’s flagship scholarship program for college students. This increase should allow the state to grant aid to virtually every eligible student who applies while increasing average individual awards. This investment provides desperately needed support, especially for students from low-income households and students of color for whom the pandemic has seriously jeopardized postsecondary affordability and success.  

Additionally, we are encouraged to see an investment of $4.2 million for the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship. This investment will help address our state’s teacher shortage and support more teaching candidates of color, including Black male and bilingual aspiring teachers. 

We are also pleased to see the continued investment of an additional $350 million for Evidence-Based Funding (EBF). The formula is working to close funding equity gaps across our state, and this investment will help ensure we continue to make progress at a time when student need has never been greater.  

Finally, it is good news that the state is increasing its investment in the Early Childhood Block Grant ($54.4 million) as well as in Early Intervention (EI) ($7 million) and home visiting (roughly $1 million) programs. That said, given the historic challenges our early childhood and care system has endured, we believe there is more work to be done and encourage greater investments going forward. 

Bottom line, Governor Pritzker has proposed and the General Assembly has passed a budget that prioritizes students. Given the events of the day and challenges our young people face, this is both the right and necessary thing to do. Again, we applaud our elected officials and look forward to working with our partners and stakeholders to continue to close equity gaps.

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About Advance Illinois
Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a healthy public education system that enables all students to achieve success in college, career and civic life. Since its founding in 2008, Advance Illinois has become a nationally recognized thought leader in education policy advocacy. To learn more, visit advanceillinois.org.

Advance Illinois Responds to Governor Pritzker’s Proposed FY23 Budget

Contact:
Advance Illinois Communications
communications@advanceillinois.org

CHICAGO, IL (February 2, 2022) - We are delighted to see a proposed budget that is fiscally responsible, plays no games with federal funds, and includes powerful and needed investments across the entire birth through postsecondary (B-20) continuum. Students across the state, from early learners to college students, will find things to cheer in the governor’s proposed budget, and we appreciate his efforts to support students across the system.

While there is much to commend in the governor’s proposed education budget, we are especially pleased with the proposed 5 percent increase for our state’s public institutions of higher education and community colleges in FY22, and the whopping $122 million proposed increase to the state’s flagship scholarship program – its MAP grants. An increase of this magnitude will allow the state to help nearly every eligible student who applies, even as it allows the state to increase average individual awards. This change is good for the future of the state and extends serious support to students from low-income households and students of color at a time when COVID-19 has put postsecondary affordability and success in real peril.  

In addition, we applaud the governor’s proposal to increase support for the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship to $4.2 million, an investment which will help address the teacher shortage in our state while supporting more teaching candidates of color, including Black male and bilingual candidates. 

It is also terrific and important to see the governor propose an additional $350 million for Evidence-Based Funding, an investment that makes good on the state’s commitment to closing deep funding inequities at a time when student need has never been greater.  

Finally, we applaud the recommended 10 percent (or $54 million) increase in the Early Childhood Block Grant. That said, we hope the General Assembly will find ways to make additional (and complementary) investments in Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), Home Visiting (HV) and Early Intervention (EI) programs. We know there is much work to be done to close the resource gap in the ECEC system and individual early childhood programs and look forward to seeing what more can be done to address this issue. 

Overall, this budget demonstrates Governor Pritzker’s commitment to ensuring that all Illinois students, from birth through career, receive the quality education they so richly deserve. We now look to the General Assembly to do its part to invest in a flourishing public education system in Illinois.  

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About Advance Illinois
Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a healthy public education system that enables all students to achieve success in college, career and civic life. Since its founding in 2008, Advance Illinois has become a nationally recognized thought leader in education policy advocacy. To learn more, visit advanceillinois.org.

Advance Illinois Statement on the Illinois State Board of Education 2021 Illinois State Report Card

Contact:
Advance Illinois Communications
communications@advanceillinois.org

CHICAGO, IL (October 29, 2021) - Today, the Illinois State Board of Education released its 2021 Illinois Report Card. On behalf of Advance Illinois, President Robin Steans shares the following statement: 

“As school communities across the state continue to address the ongoing challenges created by COVID-19, and amidst ongoing and serious data gaps and complexities, Advance Illinois applauds the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for releasing important available information in its 2021 Illinois Report Card. We appreciate ISBE’s efforts to present data as accurately as possible and to indicate where data is reliable, where it should be considered with caution and where it is necessarily delayed.” 

“It comes as no surprise that schools across the state face real challenges in re-engaging students. Enrollment has dropped an unprecedented 3.6% from 2020, and chronic absenteeism has risen alarmingly 4.7 percentage points from 2019’s 16.5% pre-pandemic rate to 21.2% in 2020. Although high school graduation rates have remained strong, a dip in the 9th grade on-track rate suggests that students making their 9th grade transition experienced setbacks that may impede their chances of graduating. Taken together, these data underscore the need for strong student supports, intensive tutoring and student engagement and outreach.”  

“Amidst the discouraging news, there are some unexpected bright spots. It is terrific to see increases in the number of students enrolled in Dual Credit and Advanced Placement courses, more stability in staffing than we might have expected, and a modest increase in the number of teachers of color across the state. We are invigorated by ISBE’s inclusion of additional data on the diversity of administrators, which importantly highlights the work our state still needs to do to ensure school personnel, including school leadership, reflect the diversity of our students.” 

“Looking ahead, and knowing what a toll the past two years have taken on students and educators alike, it will be critical to gather additional data on school climate, social emotional learning and implementation of trauma-informed practices.” 

“It is essential that we understand the impact COVID-19 is leaving in its wake, identify places where students, schools and educators will need support and attention and monitor progress and challenges as we work together to rebuild and renew. Timely, reliable information will be key, and we appreciate ISBE’s ongoing efforts to illuminate this work under trying circumstances.” 

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About Advance Illinois
Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a healthy public education system that enables all students to achieve success in college, career and civic life. Since its founding in 2008, Advance Illinois has become a nationally recognized thought leader in education policy advocacy. To learn more, visit advanceillinois.org.