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Murphysboro CUSD 186 presents mixed test results, lays out summer, curriculum and test-prep plans
Summary
District leaders reported February 2025 that high-school graduation rates and science proficiency are near or above state averages, while SAT/ACT and ninth-grade on-track rates lag. The board heard multiple interventions including summer credit recovery, a new algebra pacing plan and an ACT prep elective.
Murphysboro CUSD 186 administrators presented academic, attendance and behavior data in February 2025 and described targeted interventions intended to raise test scores and keep students on track.
Leaders said Murphysboro High School's graduation rate for the most recent cohort was 86.4 percent, compared with a state average of 87.7 percent. Ninth-grade "on-track" status was reported at about 82 percent (the state average cited was 88 percent). District presenters characterized SAT/ACT results as an area needing growth and described a shift to the ACT in spring testing to align courses and preparation.
The presentation highlighted a relative strength in science: 53.1 percent of juniors met proficiency on the Illinois Science Assessment versus a state average of 42.7 percent. Math and English proficiency on college-admissions-style testing remained low: presenters gave junior-year English meeting rates of 18.6 percent and math at 10.8 percent on the SAT-equivalent measures they reviewed.
Why it matters: administrators tied the mixed results to student mobility, COVID-era learning disruptions and test changes and described the district's near-term actions to improve outcomes.
Administrators outlined specific interventions. For high school students they reported 96 credit-recovery course enrollments this year yielding 46.5 credits passed so far and said the district will run a three-week, credit-recovery summer school in June (credit-recovery only). To address algebra failure rates, the district will pilot a slower three-year path combining Algebra I and Geometry so students can cover material in greater depth. The high school also plans an elective ACT-preparation course (ELA, math, science and social-studies teachers rotating instruction) intended for juniors, with guidance and course codes being finalized for next year.
Middle-school and districtwide steps include continuing STAR benchmark testing three times per year, using the adaptive Freckle platform in RTI to build online testing fluency, and employing grant funds tied to a state improvement designation to purchase materials and support staff training. Presenters said STAR data are used for frequent progress monitoring and that the STAR-Freckle combination helps identify specific standards to reteach ahead of the annual Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR).
Elementary-school presenters described year-to-date STAR gains in most grades and said they are using leveled reading groups, frequent progress monitoring and targeted interventions for students who fall into 'on-watch' or intervention tiers. Elementary staff reported substantial declines in out-of-class disciplinary referrals compared with earlier years and credited PBIS (positive behavioral interventions and supports), restorative practices, improved paraprofessional coverage and consistent expectations. At one elementary school staff reported year-to-date total office discipline referrals of 456 (kindergarten 241, first grade 132, second grade 83) and said that physical-contact incidents recorded as "physical aggression" were the largest single category; presenters emphasized that counts include a range from minor contact to more significant incidents.
Attendance was a recurring theme. Elementary speakers said chronic absenteeism at their school fell from about 30 percent last year to about 18 percent year to date after incentives, outreach (phone calls, transportation help) and more consistent data tracking. Middle-school presenters likewise described a renewed emphasis on attendance after earlier years in which large numbers of students missed 10 percent or more of school days.
Administrators repeatedly cautioned that differences between STAR benchmark results and the annual IAR reflect the differing purposes and sampling of those assessments; STAR provides frequent, actionable data while the IAR is a single annual measure. Several presenters noted the district views this work as a multi-year effort supported by state grant dollars tied to school improvement.
District staff invited board questions and said additional curricular and scheduling details (course codes, staffing for new electives, summer school sign-ups) will be brought forward for implementation planning.
The presentation was an information item; no formal board action was taken on instructional changes during the meeting.
