DeKalb Community Unit School District 428 sees progress in key areas of 2024 Illinois Report Card
DeKalb CUSD 428 notes several points of progress as the Illinois State Board of Education releases the 2024 Illinois Report Card, a detailed look at student performance data from the 2023-24 school year.
Notable points include:
- 9th Grade on Track, an indicator of successful high school completion, increased by four percentage points over last year, up to 77.4%.
- Chronic absenteeism dropped more than nine percentage points since 2022.
- Chronic truancy also declined to its lowest rate since recording began in 2021.
- Overall, student attendance grew to 91.8%.
These are all important indicators of a student’s ability to be successful in their academic progress, and the District is encouraged by steady improvements in these key areas. Additionally, D428 students are keeping pace with the state in cohort growth percentile measures for English Language Arts (ELA) and surpassing state averages in growth in the ‘Exceeded’ measure category. Find D428’s annual Report Card here.
English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency growth increased by two percentage points, which aligns with state trends. Overall, science proficiency grew by three percentage points. In all areas, Black and Hispanic students are still experiencing the most significant gaps in improvement compared to white students, which must continue to be prioritized. State Superintendent Dr. Tony Sanders has noted that measuring proficiency is important; however, it does not capture a student's growth, which is also a key measure of student achievement. Proficiency shows whether or not students have mastered a common, high standard, whereas growth recognizes progress toward and beyond the standard, allowing us to celebrate and respond to the efforts and increased achievement of every student. According to the National Center of Education Statistics “Mapping State Proficiency Standards” study, Illinois’ benchmark for proficiency is the fourth-highest in the nation, an indication of overall academic rigor for Illinois students.
“We are encouraged by the steady progress we are seeing in multiple areas across the Illinois Report Card,” said Superintendent Minerva Garcia-Sanchez, Ed.D., “Our administrators, teachers, and families understand the critical importance of our collective efforts to ensure our students are gaining the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in life. We are partners in this vital work, and I thank them for their extraordinary efforts to support student growth. That said, there is still much work to do to improve our student outcomes, and we must continue to be strategic in prioritizing efforts that support growth and achievement for all of our students.”
Illinois Report Card assessment results are a snapshot of student progress at a particular moment in time. When combined with additional assessment data taken throughout the year, DeKalb CUSD 428 can be responsive to data trends and make real-time adjustments to address identified learning needs. As a result, the District expects to continue to see gains that reflect its investments in a holistic approach to programming and staff that supports the diverse academic and social-emotional learning needs of our students with curriculum such as play-based learning for grades K-2nd, STEM-based Project Lead the Way for grades 3rd-5th, and the ongoing development of multidisciplinary units in grades 3rd-5th, with focus on oracy development and cross-cultural competence.
One component of the School Report Card is the annual summative designation. Illinois is required by federal accountability law to assign each school a descriptor of how well it is meeting the needs of its students. This designation is based on several indicators of academic performance, including ELA, Math, and Science growth and proficiency, English learner progress at the elementary and middle school levels, and the 5-essentials climate survey. The high school level also includes elements such as 9th-graders on track to graduate and overall graduation rates. The designation is based on the school’s overall data, and the data for each student group, for all of the accountability indicators.
This year, all secondary schools improved in their designations to commendable for all student groups. Overall, designation levels across the district remained consistent. Three schools remained in the same designation, four schools moved up to Commendable , and four schools shifted down, meaning in those cases, our school improvement efforts did not produce the results we hoped for in the prescribed timeline. The additional funding targeted and comprehensive designations provide the District with enhanced learning opportunities and expand our ability to take a more holistic approach. Targeted and comprehensive schools receive additional funding and resources to promote student achievement. These resources are designed to support the success of all students, with a particular focus on our Black students, who have historically faced systemic disadvantages in public education. Equity gaps continue to exist, not just in DeKalb but also in the state and across the nation. The District is committed to identifying and aggressively addressing equity in all areas of our educational methods so that all students gain the skills and knowledge they need and deserve to live fulfilling lives.
School Designations Summary:
- DeKalb High School - Commendable (2023 Targeted)
- Clinton Rosette Middle School - Commendable (2023 Targeted)
- Huntley Middle School - Commendable ( 2023 Comprehensive)
- Brooks Elementary - Comprehensive (2023 Targeted)
- Cortland Elementary - Commendable (2023 Targeted)
- Founders - Targeted (2023 Commendable)
- Jefferson Elementary - Commendable (2023 Commendable)
- Lincoln - Targeted (2023 Commendable)
- Littlejohn Elementary - Commendable (2023 Commendable)
- Tyler Elementary - Comprehensive (2023 Targeted)
Additional points from the 2024 Illinois Report Card include:
- Enrollment is steady; however, as is typical, enrollment fluctuates throughout the year, and we experienced an increase after the IRC reporting date. Our current numbers are just over 6,800 students.
- The percentage of low-income students increased to 67.5%, up from 64.2%. Pre-pandemic, the district was at 60% or below.
- Students with Individualized Education Plans (IEP) increased to 17.2%, up from 16.4%.
- Students who qualify as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act increased from 2.7% to 3.4%.
- In line with the state trend of more diverse student enrollment, D428 enrolled 17.6% more English learners compared to 16.1% last year.
- The IRC reported graduation rate remained flat at 77.1%. District local data for the 2024 graduating class is 83%. The discrepancy between the IRC data and local reports stems from the broader scope of students included in the IRC data. The IRC accounts for all students who were ever enrolled in the high school, including those who moved away and did not re-enroll elsewhere, which negatively affects the graduation rate. In contrast, local data only tracks students currently active in the high school, providing a more focused view of the graduation rate based on current students.