Nov. 08--Illinois schools no longer are labeled as failures or successes based on standardized test scores, as they were under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Schools now will be judged on a powerful set of measures that help parents and teachers know if their schools deliver results. That will provide a more flexible approach to school assessment without easing the expectation to improve student performance.
The state recently released a revamped school report card that gives more information to parents and educators. It tells them whether students are on track as freshmen to graduate. It tells them how many high school graduates at each school enrolled in college.
These are vital benchmarks.
The "on track" rate is a powerful early warning system to help educators pinpoint which high school freshmen are likely to graduate and which need more help. More than a decade of University of Chicago research -- and real-life testing in Chicago Public Schools -- shows that if students aren't on track in freshman year, they're far less likely to graduate.
The latest report card shows 88 percent of freshmen in Illinois are on track to graduate. That suggests this year's statewide high school graduation rate of 86 percent -- up by 3 points over 2013 -- is likely to continue to rise. It also suggests thousands of students aren't on track. Those students need tutoring and other help right away. Parents, if you look at only one measure about how well your high school -- and its elementary feeder schools -- are performing, this is it.
How effective is a school at preparing students for college? The report card data show huge gaps statewide. Some elite schools in Chicago and the suburbs send 9 in 10 students to college; other schools, in CPS and elsewhere, send only half. That number should rivet the attention of parents who may select a school based on its track record of sending graduates to college.
The report card shows that 66.3 percent of all Illinois graduates were enrolled in college 12 months after high school graduation and 70.4 percent were enrolled after 16 months.
"Students who don't go to a postsecondary institution after high school tend to struggle in the job market and ultimately decide they need to go back for more advanced training and education," said state school Superintendent Christopher Koch.
The longer students wait to enroll, the less likely they are to persist and earn a diploma.
Illinois schools still produce students who enroll in college but aren't ready to carry the academic load. The state says 46 percent of its high school graduates are ready for college. The national testing service ACT, however, says only 26 percent are ready.
Koch acknowledges the gap and says new statewide tests tied to the Common Core curriculum should help educators better pinpoint who's ready for college work and who needs remedial help before they leave high school. That would save community colleges and students millions of dollars in remedial costs and keep thousands of students from dropping out of college in frustration.
In years to come, Illinois officials say, the report card will gauge how many students complete college and land jobs. A college diploma doesn't guarantee a happy life. But college graduates have a much greater chance of snagging good-paying jobs.
Each report card from the state carries huge implications not just for students and parents but also for every resident of Illinois. Better schools produce a better-educated, better-prepared workforce, and that drives a more prosperous and competitive state.
