District 65's Rate Of Administrators To Students 50% Above Average: Illinois Report Card
EVANSTON, IL — Public schools in Illinois showed a mix of record-breaking achievements and continuing challenges in annual Illinois Report Card data released last week by state education officials, with Evanston schools showing a mix of gains in literacy and areas for improvement in math.
The 2023-24 school year saw the highest-ever graduation rate and a record performance in literacy for elementary schoolers in Illinois, though proficiency rates for high school students continue to lag.
In Evanston/Skokie School District 65 , students have become more proficient at English on state standardized tests since the coronavirus pandemic, even as the percentage of District 65 students who meet or exceed standards has fallen 2.4 percentage points since 2019.
There has been a similar trend in Evanston Township High School District 202 , where math proficiency on the SAT fell from 49.7 percent in 2019 to 44.5 percent in 2024. During that same period, the percentage of students proficient in the English portion of the test increased by 1.6 percentage points to 53.8.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the achievements of Black students and state spending on career and technical development had contributed to the 87.7 percent graduation rate, the highest in 14 years.
"These milestones demonstrate that our investments in students are delivering real results as Illinois continues to bounce back stronger from the challenges set by the pandemic," Pritzker said in a statement.
At ETHS, the four-year graduation rate was 93.2 percent for all students, up by 1.2 points from five years ago. When broken down by ethnic demographics, the rate was 89 percent for Hispanic students, 91.7 percent for Black students, 95.3 percent for white students and 97.6 percent for Asian students.
Nearly 41 percent of Illinois students in 3rd to 8th grade met or exceeded English standards, up from previous years and surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
"Illinois has seen tremendous, nation-leading recovery in English language arts, thanks to the talented teachers, principals, and superintendents in schools across the state who have worked diligently to implement shifts in their literacy practices," said Tony Sanders, the state superintendent of education.
Black students led these gains with a 26 percent increase in proficiency, with improvements also noted among English learners, low-income students and those with individualized education plans, according to ISBE's data.
"Our educators, students, and families should feel incredibly proud of how we have come together in the wake of the pandemic not just to recover but to emerge even stronger," Sanders said.
In math, however, progress has been slower, with just 28 percent of students in grades 3-8 meeting state math standards last year. Proficiency in math remains below pre-pandemic levels across race, ethnicity and income groups.
ISBE officials this year announced plans to implement a statewide math and numeracy plan, aiming for more evidence-based math instruction and prioritizing resources for foundational math skills.
The number of 9th students entering ETHS from District 65 who are considered "on track" has declined since before the pandemic. Back in 2019, 93.9 percent of high school freshmen were on track, which means they have at least 10 semester credits. In 2024, it stood at 90 percent.
ISBE rates Illinois schools in five categories: "exemplary" for the top 10 percent, "commendable" for those doing well overall but not in the top 10 percent, "targeted support" for those with some student groups in the bottom 5 percent, "comprehensive support" for those at bottom that also have low graduation rates, and "intensive support" for schools that do not improve following comprehensive support.
In District 65, Orrington Elementary School is the only exemplary school. All other schools in the district are considered commendable, as is ETHS.
The Illinois Report Card also showed a positive shift in attendance, with chronic absenteeism decreasing from 28.3 percent to 26.3 percent statewide.
High school students, however, continue to have the highest rates of absenteeism — defined as students who miss at least 10 percent of the school year regardless of their excuse — a factor ISBE connects to lower academic performance and graduation rates.
At ETHS, the rate of chronic absenteeism declined last year after rising significantly since the pandemic. In 2019, just 10.5 percent of students were absent. But in 2024, that number had risen to 18.9 percent, though it is down from a height of more than 21.6 percent last year.
The ratio of students to administrators at is 106 to 1 at ETHS and 90.4 to 1 at District 65.
The state average is 135.7 students per administrator, according to ISBE. That means D-65's has a rate of administrators about 50 percent higher than the average.
The student-teacher ratio is 13.2:1 at District 65 and 13.9:1 at ETHS, compared to a state average of 17.1 students per teacher.
According to state officials, there are more teachers in the workforce than ever before but the state still has a shortage, especially ones who are bilingual or who work in special education or somewhere other than the suburbs.
Meanwhile, the state's accountability system, which emphasizes graduation rates over academic growth in high schools, has faced scrutiny.
