Riverside Brookfield High School received the coveted exemplary ranking in the 2023 Illinois School Report Card.

Lyons Township High School was ranked as commendable.

Exemplary schools are schools that rank in the top 10% of the state by the measures used by the state while commendable schools rank in the next 67%. 

The summary ranking is based on a variety of factors including graduation rate (50%), chronic absenteeism (10%), English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency (7.5%), math proficiency (7.5%) 9th grade on track and the number of students responding to a school climate survey. 

RBHS just made the exemplary designation with an overall score of 92.2.

Our school’s exemplary designation is the result of collaborative approaches in all we do,” said RBHS Principal RB Principal Hector Freytas. “RB is simply an amazing place for all!” 

 LTHS’s just missed exemplary with an overall score of 91.02.

“We think we’re pretty darned close,” said LTHS Director of Curriculum and Instruction Scott Eggerding. 

LTHS higher overall test scores than RBHS. The Illinois State Board of Education’s proficiency standard in math is a 540 score on the SAT exam while the proficiency standard in English Language Arts is a 540 score on the evidence-based reading and writing section of the SAT. 

Illinois has some of the most rigorous standards for proficiency in the nation, and its benchmark for proficiency is higher than that of 45 other states, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

At LTHS, about 54% of students met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and math while at RBHS 48% exceeded the state standard in ELA and 44% did so in math. 

There were, as in past years, wide differences in performance among various racial and ethnic groups at both schools. 

This overview focuses on high schools. This publication will offer an in-depth look at elementary schools next week. In the meantime, you can learn more about your local schools at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.

RBHS

The high school enrolled 1,647 students in 2023. About 47.5% of students reported they are white, while 41.7 % reported they are Hispanic. About 5% of students said they are Black.  Just under 12% of students are considered low-income.

At RBHS 65.2% of white students met or exceeded the state standards in ELA compared with 50% of Asian students, just 29.7% of Hispanic students and only 25% of Black students. Nearly 25% of low income RBHS students met or exceeded the state standard in ELA.

In math, 70% of Asian RBHS students and 60% of white RBHS students met or exceeded the state standards while just 27.6% of Hispanic and only 15.8% of Black RBHS students did so. Only 7.6% of low income RBHS students met or exceeded the state standard in math.

Overall, RBHS scores in ELA did not change much from 2022 when 48.9% met or exceeded the state standard. But RBHS’s scores actually dropped in math. About 52% of RBHS juniors met or exceeded the state standard in math in 2022 compared to just 44.7% this year. The percentage of RBHS students scoring in the lowest category in math increased to 27.6% this year compared to 22.4% in 2022. Ironically the percentage of RBHS students scoring in the highest category in math, exceeding standards, also slightly increased this year jumping to 12.4% this year, up from 11.1% in 2022.

RBHS had a graduation rate of 94%.

LTHS

More than 3,780 students are enrolled at Lyons Township. About 70% of students report they are white and about one-quarter are Hispanic. Black students make up about 3% of the population. Roughly 12% are considered low-income.

At LTHS scores in ELA improved this year as 54.5% of students met or exceeded the state proficiency standard compared with 49.4% in 2022. LTHS scores in math inched up this year as 54.1% of students met or exceeded the state standard in 2023, up from 53.1% in 2022.

Racial, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities were also evident at LTHS. Almost 74% of Asian students and 63.8% of white students met or exceeded the state standard in ELA compared to just 30.7% of Hispanic and 25.9% of Black LTHS students. And 20.2% of low income LTHS students met or exceeded the state standard in ELA.

In math, 73.7% of Asian students and 63.9% of white students met or exceeded the state standard, while just 29.5% of Hispanic and 25.9% of Black students did so. Only 18.4% of low-income students at LTHS met the state standard in math.

LTHS had a graduation rate of 96%.

Test scores at both schools were far above state averages. Statewide only 31.6% of students met or exceeded the state standard in ELA while just 26.7% did so in math.

Statewide officials said proficiency rates across the board remained below pre-pandemic levels.