* Chalkbeat Chicago…

After the Illinois State Board of Education changed the parameters for how it measures school-level performance earlier this year, the number of public schools in the state that are considered Exemplary — the state’s highest of five ratings — rose 17%

States are required by federal law to have an accountability system monitoring how schools perform on certain metrics. Under the previous system, only the top 10% of public schools in the state could achieve Exemplary status. Officials said that led to a lopsided distribution of schools stuck in the Commendable category — formerly the second-highest category. Now, 27% are considered Exemplary.

A new trove of data annually released as the Illinois Report Card also shows an uptick in the percentage of students considered proficient in reading and math. Roughly 56% of students are considered proficient in English language arts, while almost 40% are in math. That’s up from 53% and 38.5%, respectively.

Years prior to 2025 cannot be compared because last year, the state lowered the scores needed to be deemed proficient in English language arts and math.

* The Daily Herald…

“We’re seeing more students meeting grade-level expectations, graduating from high school on time, attending school consistently, and taking advantage of opportunities that prepare them for college and careers,” [State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders] said.

Most significantly, science proficiency increased from the previous year across every student group measured, with Black students improving from 20.4% to 25.4%, low-income students going from 27.7% to 32.1%, and English learners from 12.2% to 16.8%. Overall, science proficiency went up from 44.6% to 48.7% in 2026, state education officials said citing report card data.

Fifth- and eighth-grade students improved science proficiency by more than six percentage points statewide. At the school level, some in the suburbs are seeing double-digit percentage-point increases in science proficiency.

* Shaw Local…

In 2026, the four-year graduation rate for Illinois high school students was 89.8%. In a news conference ahead of the official data release, Sanders noted that this record is the third consecutive record-high graduation rate.

Previous record-holding graduation rates included 89% in 2025 and 87.7% in 2024.

The state’s Every Student Succeeds Act aimed to get graduation rates up to 88.9% by 2029. This goal was achieved four years early.

Over 90% of Asian and white students graduated in 2026, 95.1% and 93.2%, respectively.

Multiracial students, Hispanic or Latino students and Black students graduated at rates of 88.2%, 87.2% and 84.2%, respectively. Of these groups, however, Black students have demonstrated the most growth in graduation rates, increasing the group’s four-year graduation rate by 5.9% since 2022, according to the data.

English learners have also shown a significant increase in this metric, increasing the group’s graduation rate by 6.4% since 2022.

* The Tribune…

Chronic absenteeism, a critical measure because school attendance is foundational to learning, fell to 23.5% statewide, but remained significantly above the pre-pandemic level of 17.5% in 2019 — particularly for Black students at 37%, and Hispanics at 30%.

“So we’re not out of the woods,” [ Robin Steans, president at Advance Illinois,] said. “That should worry us.” [..]

Another measure of progress, ACT scores were up slightly, along with rates of advanced coursework and enrollment in career and technical education, and lower rates of remedial classes. Generally, Allensworth said, Illinois performance scores are fairly comparable to the nation as a whole, but lower-income families have challenges that need more help to overcome. […]

Statewide, the number of teachers continued to rise to a high of nearly 140,000, while student enrollment fell 1.6%, continuing a long-term decline as birth rates fall and more people move out of state. The number of teachers has increased 10% since 2018, and they earn an average salary of $81,911, up 25% since 2018. Instructional expenditure per student increased to $12,239, and operational expenditures to slightly more than $20,000–both increases of more than 50% since 2018.