Copyright Chicago Tribune
Chronic absenteeism rates again fell in Indian Prairie School District 204, and all but two district schools were designated as exemplary or commendable in their 2025 Illinois Report Card. The annual report from the Illinois State Board of Education offers a comprehensive analysis of academic, demographic and financial data for every school and district in the state. Want to know how District 204 fared? Here are some of the major data points. Indian Prairie currently has just under 26,000 students, having seen a slight increase since its numbers were recorded for the 2024 Illinois Report Card. Chronic absenteeism rates again declined, to just under 16%, per the numbers from ISBE’s report card for the district. That’s almost 10 points lower than the state average, but remains higher than the district’s pre-2022 averages. In an email, Deputy Superintendent Louis Lee wrote that the district’s reduction in chronic absenteeism is “a result of the district’s intentional focus on building a positive school culture and climate,” and said that the district’s educators are continuing to work on strategies that “foster a sense of belonging.” But that is something the district still needs to address, School Board president Laurie Donahue said at the district’s School Board meeting on Nov. 3, at which the Board discussed the report card following a presentation by Sarah Mumm, the district’s director of research and assessment. The district’s four-year high school graduation rate was roughly 95%, holding fairly steady with recent years and higher than the state average. As far as academic achievement goes, Mumm noted at the district’s School Board meeting on Monday that English Language Arts, or ELA, and math proficiency and participation in Advanced Placement coursework are rising across the state. The state’s benchmarks for proficiency have changed, however, meaning proficiency rates can’t be compared with previous years. But Indian Prairie showed significantly higher rates of proficiency this year than the state average in all subject areas measured — ELA, math and science. Students’ growth percentiles — which show their improvement compared with their peers — indicate that Indian Prairie students are improving beyond the state average in ELA and math. The district’s ACT scores also outpace state averages, but are slightly lower than the last time the ACT was recorded for the district, in 2017. Illinois switched to the ACT in the spring. Lee said that the district’s efforts “are concentrated on preparing students not just for a single test, but for life beyond graduation,” and pointed to “high-quality, challenging instruction” as the “most effective preparation for any standardized test.” And more than half of district students were enrolled in Advanced Placement coursework, a percentage that has been rising in recent years. Mumm called the district’s growth in Advanced Placement coursework “a huge celebration” at Monday’s meeting. “Being able to see over 4,000 students this year that participated in AP courses is impressive as a district,” she said. Mumm also noted that 89% of district students taking AP tests received a score of 3 out of 5 or higher on at least one of their exams. And all but two district schools — Longwood and Owen elementary schools — were designated as “exemplary” or “commendable” this year. Exemplary schools are those with overall performance in the top 10% in the state, with commendable the next highest rating, according to ISBE. Six schools were exemplary, and 23 were deemed commendable. Both Longwood and Owen were deemed in need of “targeted support,” and will begin a four-year cycle of school improvement. This is Owen’s first year with this designation, according to Mumm, and it was targeted for its low-income students’ math growth. Longdale had previously been designated as targeted, moved up to commendable last year, but has again been deemed in need of targeted support. Asked by Board member Susan Demming about Longdale, Mumm explained that the school is in the midst of an improvement plan and currently making changes. “Sometimes you see some growth, and sometimes you see a little dip, and that’s part of the cycle of learning and change,” Mumm said. “It is frustrating and disheartening at times to have that designation fluctuate in the midst of a plan.” Brookdale Elementary had previously been considered targeted, Mumm noted on Monday, but it has since moved up to the commendable range. The district’s full Illinois Report Card for 2025 can be found at: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/. mmorrow@chicagotribune.com
