The new Illinois school report cards were released this fall, and District 204’s results show six schools earning the top “exemplary” rating and two identified for targeted support. During a recent Indian Prairie School District 204 board meeting, officials explained how the Illinois State Board of Education’s new school report card changes how performance is measured across the state. The updated Illinois school report card system now includes attendance and survey participation, along with test scores, to better show student growth and engagement.
District leaders support the broader approach but said the extra factors have made the new grading system harder for some families to understand.
What the ratings mean
Exemplary schools are in the top 10 percent statewide with no underperforming student groups. Commendable schools show solid results overall but have at least one student group not yet meeting top benchmarks. Targeted schools are identified because specific student groups need additional support to close learning gaps.
What’s new in Illinois’ report card system
The Illinois State Board of Education adjusted its formula this year to emphasize student progress over time rather than just test proficiency.
The update also includes attendance rates and school climate surveys to measure engagement. District 204 leaders said the shift provides a fuller picture of student experience but can also make comparisons between schools less straightforward.
Report card shows strong results, areas for growth
Director of Teaching and Learning Sarah Mumm reviewed the district’s data from the new report card. She said academic standards remain the same and that growth offers a stronger measure of student progress than year-to-year proficiency.
Six schools were rated exemplary and 23 commendable. Two were labeled targeted because of student groups still catching up. The six exemplary schools are Danielle-Joy Peterson Elementary School, Fry Elementary School, May Watts Elementary School, Oliver Julian Kendall Elementary School, Patterson Elementary School, and Wayne Builta Elementary School. The two targeted schools are Longwood Elementary School and Owen Elementary School, according to the Illinois Report Card.
District ACT results remain well above the state average, with an overall composite score of 22.9 compared with Illinois’ 18.8. About 4,000 students took 8,600 Advanced Placement exams, and 89% earned at least one score of 3 or higher. Half of all eighth graders passed algebra, and the graduation rate stayed steady at 95%.
Last year, district leaders reported that District 204 had five exemplary schools, 24 commendable schools, and two targeted schools, showing a slight increase this year in the number of schools earning the top designation.
Chronic absenteeism declined to 15.8%, with 21 schools showing improvement. Mumm noted that absences include both excused and unexcused days and that missing even one day every two weeks can affect learning.
Math growth remains a focus. District leaders said slower gains reflect gaps from the early rollout of a new curriculum during remote learning. Teacher training is now in its final phase, and officials expect stronger results once full implementation is complete.
Georgetown Elementary shows major growth
Georgetown Elementary shared its three-year improvement plan focused on academics, student support and school culture. Staff redesigned intervention time and emphasized reasoning and evidence across subjects.
Since fall 2023, the number of students needing the most intensive reading help dropped from 127 to 46. In math, that number fell from 53 to 26. The share of students meeting grade-level math expectations rose from 13% to 50% in one year. Discipline referrals have also fallen by more than 15% each year since 2023.
Board members praised the progress and suggested sharing Georgetown’s strategies with other schools.
New high school courses planned
District curriculum leaders previewed course updates coming in the 2026-27 school year. U.S. History will move from a timeline-based format to a thematic model centered on four key ideas: the promise of America, capitalism, global leadership and identity. The updated course will include more primary sources and writing exercises that connect with reasoning skills taught in other subjects.
French 3 will adopt a new textbook that broadens lessons on global French-speaking cultures. Board members supported both changes and asked that parents and students be more involved in future curriculum reviews.
Financial report to move online
The board approved a plan to stop printing the district’s Annual Statement of Affairs in a newspaper and instead post it online. Officials said the same information, including staff salaries, vendor payments and contracts, is already public through the district’s website and annual audits. The move is expected to save about $3,000 a year.
All information in this story was sourced from the District 204 board meeting on Nov. 3, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEpj9WiIdCE.
