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The number of Illinois school districts with a majority of students coming from low-income families has jumped from 13 percent to 43 percent over the past decade, a new report shows.

The finding was released by Advance Illinois, a business-backed education reform group, in its biennial report “Every Student Counts: The State We’re In 2016-2017.” […]

As poverty levels increase, the report says, low-income Illinois students remain academically behind their wealthier peers in K-12 schooling and are less likely to complete a postsecondary degree.

Twenty percent of low-income students are college-ready based on scores measured on the ACT college-entrance exam. That’s 39 percentage points lower than their wealthier peers, the report found.

In addition, low-income students are 26 percentage points behind wealthier peers in postsecondary enrollment and 9 percentage points behind in postsecondary completion, the report found.

The full report is here.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 2:08 pm

Comments

Yep. Maslow got it right. Self-actualization is the top floor. Poverty creates all kinds of barriers to educational, social, vocational, and financial success. Now programs that address those basic needs are being starved by the impasse. Make sure the schools open on time and stay open? Ok. But the increasing poverty levels are going to do more long-term damage than the temporary shutting down of schools. And we all know if that came to pass it would be very temporary. Once a family enters their first generation of poverty it is very difficult to reverse. Multi-generational poverty is even harder to climb out of.

Comment by Cubs in '16 Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 2:23 pm
It took a little time but yesterday what the rich right white wanted. Get rid of blue collar jobs and control the middle class.

Comment by Red Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 2:24 pm
I’m glad that with 51% of Illinois school children needing free or reduced prices lunch we are keeping our focus laser-like on crushing labor and especially AFSCME. S/

Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 2:27 pm
Dumb down the low-income children and kill the union jobs, the future looks bad.

Comment by Red Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 2:31 pm
Oh please. This is something that happened over the past 12-18 months. It says “OVER THE PAST DECADE” so spare me all of the anti-Rauner rhetroic. This has been building for years. Let’s hear the legislators (from both parties, but mostly the Dems) provide answers. Could it be because their existing programs don’t really benefit the middle class? Or that they don’t help people move to the middle class? Or maybe their so good at helping people that they actually move out of the state, leaving the poverty-stricken behind? /snark

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 2:35 pm
If yous think that your going to get something fron this goofy pres. and this sad Gov, your mistaken.

Comment by Red Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 2:39 pm
The number of Illinois school districts with a majority of students coming from low-income families has jumped from 13 percent to 43 percent over the past decade, a new report shows.

Why can’t we pass something to attract businesses who will employ these children’s parents at higher wages so we won’t have so many low income families?

Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 2:46 pm
>Could it be because their existing programs don’t really benefit…

I’m glad I broke my rule and read a comment with a handle beginning with a-n-o-n. I think some of your thoughts rate much better than the /snark label.

Social services are a place, like criminal justice reform and management of DCFS, where Governor Rauner could potentially make a really positive impact. He made a lot of hay about Governor Quinn’s grants which weren’t well monitored and didn’t produce results. Modernizing how we look at services benefiting low income kids and measuring impact and maximizing effectiveness and efficiency are places where his skills and strengths could really shine and produce a lasting impact.

I get frustrated and angry with him for his use of social services as a “wedge issue” in his efforts to decimate organized labor, and I also feel a sense of loss of the positive things he could be doing for our state instead.

Comment by Earnest Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 2:46 pm
And with the MAP grants being eliminated - this is supposed to automatically reverse the trend????

Someone, please explain!

Comment by illini Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 2:50 pm
@Lucky Higher wages? You haven’t been paying attention. The problem is that too many middle class workers are making too much. That’s why we need to end prevailing wage now and compromise the Governor and curb Union power. /s
Seriously, as a previous poster mentioned things have been going bad for a decade but the decline has only been accelerated under the new administration. The two parties are too busy trying to make each other look like the bad guys to get anything meaningful done to help the citizens that are struggling to get by.

Comment by The Dude Abides Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 2:55 pm
@Anon

I don’t think anyone is blaming Rauner for the trend but governors typically try to fix existing problems; not exacerbate them. Rauner supporters will say he’s trying but….Madigan. The bottom line is Rauner has never demonstrated how his TA will help to reverse this trend.

Comment by Cubs in '16 Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 3:04 pm
@Cubsin’16 - haven’t been reminded of the Maslow Hierarchy for years. Thanks, great point.

Comment by illini Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 3:20 pm
One indefensible barrier fcing children from poor families is the regressive education funding system that provides their districts with less funding than it provides for districts serving the affluent.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 3:39 pm
The problem seems pretty clear if you look at the maps on pages 8-9. Rural poverty is increasing dramatically as a proportion of the population.

This is a bit more complicated than saying fewer good jobs. At the same time most of these rural areas are facing decreases in population. Those leaving are those who get college or technical educations. They move to larger population areas leaving behind people who don’t have the opportunities. It then builds on itself.

So if you are going to locate a business why would you do it in an area with high poverty and a workforce that isn’t as well trained? You wouldn’t–you would move to one of the population centers whether it is Chicago metro or one of the smaller cities. This is happening all over the country. Some states are managing it, some aren’t. Illinois appears to be not handling it.

Comment by ArchPundit Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 3:54 pm
One thing to keep in mind, after reading through the report it is unclear how much poverty is increasing for school aged children. I would imagine it is somewhat, but the maps don’t answer that question specifically. What they are pointing out is that the number of school districts with half or more of students in poverty have increased. Most of those districts are losing students though so they make up less of the total number of students over time.

Looking at another report child poverty has increased 15% to 21% between 2000 and 2013. However, think about the distribution of that if the number of districts went from 13% to 43%….

Comment by ArchPundit Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 4:00 pm
if you want to get the award on workman’s comp, go after the lawyers and jury. Remember it is also income and is taxed.

Comment by red Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 4:08 pm
Just another example of the new 21st century gilded age

Comment by Boone's is Back Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 4:23 pm
Maybe the Governor could do something other than hold us all hostage to get his meaningless Turnaround Agenda.

Comment by CCP Hostage Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 4:36 pm
ArchPundit: The number of low-income students has been steadily increasing since 2005 while the total student population has been relatively flat. The number of low-income students has increased from 40% to 54% based on our analysis. -Bob Dolgan, Advance Illinois

Comment by Bob Dolgan Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 5:19 pm
@Good comments by ArchPundit.

Poverty is increasing among school aged children however the reality is a bit clouded by the ways thatthe ISBE and schools track poverty.

Schools look at free/reduced lunch counts. The ISBE uses the DHS count which is lower and involves multiple factors. That allows them to keep funding away from rural schools in particular.

Not sure which way Advance Illinois figures the numbers.

I am wary of them as they claim to be a “business backed” movement, because of course, anyone can run a school and schools are here to serve business in their world. Which is completely untrue.

Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 8:05 pm
More students are coming from low income families because more middle class families are dropping down to low income. We’ve slipped. No one cares.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Dec 20, 16 @ 8:15 pm
Point of clarification, @JSMill, the story has it wrong. We are an organization that is independent of businesses, and partisanship, and we are an objective voice that focuses on the best interests of students. We used free/reduced lunch eligibility for our poverty calculation. -Bob Dolgan, Advance Illinois

Comment by Bob Dolgan Wednesday, Dec 21, 16 @ 9:32 am