The Illinois School Report Card shows students in Homewood District 153 improved by 10 points in English/Language Arts, 6 points in science, and had a slight dip in math scores in the 2023-24 school year testing.
Data on the Illinois School Report Card was made available by the Illinois State Board of Education on Oct 30. The scores are for the Illinois Assessment of Readiness standard.
“The annual report card is an opportunity we welcome to celebrate our strengths and reflect on our goals, so that every student can reach their fullest potential,” said Superintendent Scott McAlister. “In 153, we believe every single student can meet high expectations and that (parents/guardians) are a critical partner in a child’s education.”
District 153 serves 1,831 students at three schools in Homewood—Willow School serving pre-kindergarten through second graders; Churchill School serving third, fourth and fifth graders; and James Hart School servings sixth, seventh and eighth graders.
The report shows the district’s scores in English/Language Arts jumped 10 points. This 2024 Report Card score is 44.7% compared to 34.7% in 2023, and 28.1% in 2022.
Math scores took a dip to 22.6% this year, from the 2023 score of 23.4%.
“Our students’ growth in math, particularly our students with disabilities, is an area of concern,” McAlister said. “Our students with disabilities at Willow and Churchill made gains in math, but not as much as we would like to see.”
To help students improve their math knowledge, the state has designated Willow and Churchill for “targeted” support.
“As part of this support, the state will provide a limited amount of funds to each building to enable us to engage in a School Improvement Plan over the next four years,” McAlister said. “This will provide us with the opportunity to bring all stakeholders together to look closely at our data and our practices to best determine how to improve in these areas.”
He said he was happy to report that students at James Hart School continued to earn a “commendable” rating, the second highest ranking available.
A science assessment test is given to students in grades 5 and 8. The overall District 153 score is 51.7%, an improvement from the 45.8% score of 2023. The 2024 scores by grade are 55.8% for fifth graders and 48.3% for eighth graders.
Overall, student attendance is at 92%, but McAlister said one area of concern is the number of students missing 10 or more days of school, especially in the early grades.
