Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Assessments topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Elmhurst SD 205 previews state assessment results, highlights gains and subgroup gaps
Summary
At a Committee of the Whole on Oct. 21, Elmhurst SD 205 staff shared internal district and York High School assessment data ahead of ISBE release, citing rising proficiency and growth alongside persistent gaps for emergent bilinguals, students with IEPs and low-income students.
At a Committee of the Whole meeting on Oct. 21, Elmhurst School District 205 staff presented internal analysis of last spring’s state and national assessments, saying the district has made steady gains in proficiency and student growth even as some student groups continue to lag.
"Growth isn't linear," Superintendent Dr. Campbell told the board as he framed the district’s multi‑year review cycle and warned that some data being discussed were not yet public and would be released by the Illinois State Board of Education on Oct. 31.
District data presenters pointed to specific improvements across grade levels. Dr. Rubenstein said elementary chronic absenteeism has declined districtwide and highlighted a nearly 50% reduction in chronic absenteeism at York High School since 2022–23. Katie Lyons reported districtwide ELA proficiency gains in grades 3–5 (72% in 2022 to 77% in 2025) and strong middle‑grade improvements, with cohort growth percentiles largely in the average to above‑average range.
Staff also reviewed subgroup outcomes. Lyons said proficiency for emergent bilingual students declined in some measures (for example, ELA subgroup percentages were cited in the presentation) while students with individualized education programs (IEPs) and low‑income students showed mixed results—some modest gains in ELA and declines or smaller gains in math and science. Carrie Leischl, presenting York High results, said the class of 2026 met ISBE’s ELA benchmark at about 79% and reported above‑average cohort growth percentiles for grades 9 and 10.
The presenters stressed that some measures reported in the meeting reflected internal calculations (for example, including EL newcomers) that may differ from the official ISBE report card. Staff said the district will continue school‑level reviews using a three‑phase protocol (identify facts, interpret implications, consider next steps) and will report more detailed school‑level actions as those conversations continue.
Board members praised the improvements and used table discussions to surface questions about math performance at the middle and high school levels and how curriculum and minutes allocated to subjects have influenced outcomes. "We have work to do," the board president said, noting the review will guide next steps.
The district invited community members to the State of the District presentation on Oct. 30 at Lincoln Elementary, when ISBE data will be publicly posted and discussed.
