Goals for 2020
As Illinois seeks to improve its public schools, Advance Illinois intends to track the state’s performance over time. Among other things, we will monitor the state’s progress on the following measures:
Goal 1 - Stronger Academic Achievement
Illinois' academic proficiency rate on the Nation's Report Card (NAEP) rise to 50% in reading and math for all ages, placing it among Top 5 states.
- Illinois currently trails more than half of all states with 29-37% proficiency.1
|
|
ILLINOIS |
MEDIAN OF TOP 5 STATES |
TOP STATE |
|
Proficient or Above on NAEP |
|
|
|
|
4th Grade Reading |
29% |
42% |
49% (MA) |
|
4th Grade Math |
37% |
51% |
58% (MA) |
|
8th Grade Reading |
29% |
39% |
43% (MA) |
|
8th Grade Math |
31% |
41% |
51% (MA) |
Goal 2 – Smaller Achievement Gaps
The achievement gap in reading and math on the Nation’s Report Card between minority/white students and poor /non-poor students shrinks to less than 10%. looking ahead still further, we must eliminate gaps entirely.
- Currently, the proficiency gaps in Illinois are roughly 20–35% in all areas, among the worst gaps in the nation.2
|
|
ILLINOIS |
MEDIAN OF TOP 5 STATES |
TOP STATE |
|
Achievement Gaps on NAEP |
|
|
|
|
8th Grade Reading (White/Black) |
28% |
14% |
10% (HI) |
|
8th Grade Reading (White/Hispanic) |
22% |
12% |
9% (AL) |
|
8th Grade Reading (Non-poor/Poor) |
24% |
15% |
12% (HI) |
|
8th Grade Math (White/Black) |
34% |
16% |
11% (OR) |
|
8th Grade Math (White/Hispanic) |
28% |
17% |
13% (HI) |
|
8th Grade Math (Non-poor/Poor) |
29% |
18% |
11% (DC) |
Goal 3 – Greater College- and Career-Readiness
More high school students complete a college- and career-ready curriculum (90%) and fewer two-year and four-year
college students require remedial courses (15%).
- Currently, just 45% of Illinois high school students take a college- and career-ready curriculum, and
Illinois’ community college remediation rate is roughly 50%.3
|
|
ILLINOIS |
MEDIAN OF TOP 5 STATES |
TOP STATE |
|
Percent Students College and Career Ready |
|
|
|
|
Completion of a College and Career-Ready Curriculum* |
45% |
77% |
78% (TX) |
Goal 4 – Higher Education Attainment
More students graduate from high school on time (85%), more students pursue postsecondary study (70%), and more adults complete postsecondary study (40%).
- Illinois currently graduates 80% of freshman in four years, 55% of high school graduates enroll in postsecondary and just 36% of individuals over 25 have an associate or bachelor’s degree.4
|
|
ILLINOIS |
MEDIAN OF TOP 5 STATES |
TOP STATE |
|
Rates of Educational Attainment |
|
|
|
|
High School Graduation Rate |
80% |
87% |
88% (WI) |
|
Rate of High School Graduates Going to College** |
55% |
68% |
73% (RI) |
|
Associate Degree or Greater (for Individuals over 25) |
45% |
77% |
45% (MA) |
* ACT. ACT High School Profile Report. http://www.act.org/news/data/08/statemenu.html. This data is only for individuals taking the ACT and is self-reported, therefore data between states may not be comparable, due to different rates of ACT participation, 2008.
** U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), school year 2005–06. The averaged freshman graduation rate is the number of graduates divided by the estimated count of freshmen 4 years earlier.
*** U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, “Private School Survey (PSS),” 2003-04; and 2004 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Spring 2005.
