Chicago City Wire

CHICAGO (Aug. 26, 2024) – As most Illinois students head back to school, reports indicate that students continue to struggle with meeting grade-level standards in core subjects five years after the pandemic.

Third graders' struggles with reading are particularly concerning. Without this skill, their ability to learn and their futures are at risk.

According to an Illinois Policy Institute analysis, only 35% of elementary students read at grade level and 27% met math standards in 2023. These figures remain below pre-pandemic levels when the proficiency rate was 38% in reading and 32% in math.

Illinois third-grade students unable to meet reading standards will likely struggle with other subjects as well. Experts fear that without this foundational skill, their ability to learn and their futures could be jeopardized.

Among 11th-grade students, 32% were proficient in reading on the 2023 SAT and 27% were proficient in math. These numbers compare to 36% in reading and 34% in math during 2019.

These lackluster results persist despite increased funding: Illinois’ most recent budget for K-12 public education reached a record $10.9 billion in 2024, over $2 billion more than before the pandemic.

Facts about education:

- In 81 of Illinois’ public schools, not a single third-grade student could read at grade level. Chicago Public Schools accounted for 51 of those.

- Public school enrollment is dropping year-over-year; the state has seen declines during 13 of the past 15 years.

- About 28% of Illinois students were chronically absent in the 2022-2023 school year compared to a rate of 17.5% in the last full school year before the pandemic.

“As the new school year begins, leaders at Illinois public schools should be looking to address the low rates of proficiency, high rates of absenteeism and other critical issues facing the state’s public schools,” said Hannah Schmid, policy analyst at the Illinois Policy Institute. “It’s important we ensure every Illinois student gains the skills necessary to succeed in life after graduation. Elementary students need intervention now before their lack of childhood learning becomes a risk of poverty. A vital first step is to ensure more third-grade students are equipped to read proficiently.”

To learn more about how Illinois schools are performing, visit illin.is/school.