Schiller Park SD 81 reports districtwide gains in spring reading and math, principals say

The Board of Education of Schiller Park SD 81 on June 17 heard presentations from school principals showing widespread gains on spring assessments in both reading and math districtwide.

In a presentation on Kennedy School results, the Kennedy principal said Kennedy’s median growth percentile in reading was 67 and in math 80, and that the school reduced the share of students in the lowest achievement bands while increasing the percentage of students meeting or exceeding spring targets. “Our median growth percentile is the 67th percentile, meaning Kennedy students grew more than 67% of students nationally,” the presenter said, and noted that nearly two‑thirds of Kennedy students met or exceeded growth expectations.

Washington School and Lincoln Middle School principals reported similar patterns. The Washington principal reported a median reading growth percentile of 74 and an increase in median achievement from the 48th to the 63rd percentile, with 81% of fourth graders and 82% of fifth graders meeting reading growth targets. The Lincoln Middle School presenter reported steady growth across grades 6–8, citing median growth percentiles near the 61st for reading and a district‑level math median in the 70th percentile for middle grades.

Districtwide analysis emphasized that SD81 K–8 students outperformed national norms on aggregate measures. Presenters said district growth averaged about the 74th percentile overall and highlighted a shift in student distributions toward higher achievement bands: the share of students meeting spring growth targets increased (district reading performance rose and math performance showed stronger gains). District staff also reported that the percent of students meeting spring growth targets rose from 64% in 2022 to 81% in 2026 for math and held steady or improved in reading across the same period.

Assessments and English‑learner progress: district staff reported about 410 students take the ACCESS English‑language proficiency assessment annually and said the percent of students exiting the program has risen from 4.4% in 2023 to about 10.2% most recently. Staff noted 72 students scored between 4.1 and 4.7 on the ACCESS scale (4.8 is required to exit) and identified speaking and writing as focus areas to increase future exits.

Presenters credited targeted instructional strategies—instructional coaches, reading‑room interventions and flexible grouping—for the gains and said staff will continue targeted supports over the summer and next year. Board members and administrators offered praise and thanked principals, teachers and support staff for the reported progress.

What happens next: district staff said the system will continue quarterly monitoring of growth and focus instructional supports on identified gaps, particularly speaking and writing for English‑learners. No formal board action was required on the presentations.

(Reporting based on presentations to the Board of Education of Schiller Park SD 81 at its June 17, 2026 meeting.)