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District 57 fall benchmarking: strong proficiency vs. state but gaps in writing and in key subgroups
Summary
District 57 reported above‑state proficiency in ELA, math and science but flagged lower middle‑school writing growth and achievement gaps for low‑income students, multilingual learners and students with IEPs; staff outlined professional learning and targeted supports.
District 57 staff presented fall benchmarking and Illinois report card results on Nov. 18, emphasizing that while the district’s proficiency rates exceed state averages, targeted gaps and a renorming of state assessments warrant close attention.
“65.2% of our students were considered proficient [in ELA], compared to 52.4% at the state level,” said Dr. Van der Hart during the presentation, which also noted math proficiency of 57.7% districtwide versus 38.4% statewide. He and other presenters described recent state adjustments to cut scores and MAP norming that affect year‑to‑year comparisons.
Staff drew attention to declines in middle‑school writing growth and lower kindergarten/first‑grade reading results relative to historical performance. Presenters said the district will deploy professional learning (data literacy and targeted small‑group reading instruction), pilot supplemental literacy programs, and continue item‑level analysis of state assessments to refine instruction. The district also identified persistent achievement gaps for low‑income students, multilingual learners and students with individualized education plans, and said teams are coordinating supports across specialists.
Board members pressed for more concrete, actionable next steps and requested future reports showing interventions, targeted metrics, and comparative data for feeder districts. Staff agreed to provide additional detail on disaggregation and follow-up actions in subsequent reports.
