State Gets Bad Grade on No Child Left Behind

Students test scores improve, federal standards do not

Looks like Chicago's making the grade. Kinda.

Students are showing improvement on all tests administered by the state and more than 40 schools and districts are being removed from improvement status, the Illinois State Board of Education reported Friday.

The Board bases their improvement status ratings on student performance, attendance rates and graduation rates.

But despite those improvements at the state level, more schools and districts are failing to meet performance targets under the federal No Child Left Behind law.

"Overall, our statewide averages continue to increase incrementally for all tests," said State Superintendent of Education Christopher A. Koch. " But even though we are seeing gains, the number of schools making adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) continues to decline - another reason why No Child Left Behind needs to be re-examined."

The results were announced as part of the State Board’s statewide analysis of the 2009 State Report Card.

How did your school/district rank? The Chicago Tribune has posted a searchable database of any public school in the state.

Also, the Daily Herald covers many of the main headlines coming out of the report.

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