Dozens of Chicago schools have reportedly claimed none of their students are proficient in math or reading.
Findings reported by Wirepoints are from the Illinois Department of Education’s 2022 data showing in 55 of the city’s public schools, zero students were proficient in those subjects, according to a Fox News article published Monday.
“It’s yet another indictment of the state’s educational system,” Wirepoints explained in a social media post February 14:
Not a single student can do math at grade level in 53 #Illinois schools. For reading, it’s 30 schools. Not 1 single student. Education data from @ISBEnews
It’s yet another indictment of the state’s educational system. Via @Wirepointshttps://t.co/rMZlnHjcgK #twill #SchoolChoice… https://t.co/IEbaxctIoo pic.twitter.com/meKyUDo7sk
— Wirepoints (@Wirepoints) February 14, 2023
Twenty-two schools had no students reading at their grade level, and 33 more schools said none of their students could do math at grade level.
Fifty-three schools across the state said they had no students proficient in math, while 30 more schools said they had no students who were skilled in reading at their grade level.
However, “Defenders of the current system are sure to invoke covid as the big reason for the low scores,” the Wirepoints report said.
“But a look at the 2019 numbers show that the reading and math numbers were only slightly better than they are now,” it continued.
When many of the nation’s schools went into lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic, some districts thrived by keeping things as normal as they could, Breitbart News reported in March.
The outlet noted that in mid 2020, the American Academy of Pediatrics encouraged school leaders to open their doors for in-person learning, warning them of the risks for depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among young students.
The problem in Illinois is not from issues with funding, per the Fox report.
“Just this fiscal year alone, Illinois has allocated $9.4 billion to Chicago Public Schools and the federal government has allocated an additional $1.8 billion to the school system through the American Rescue Plan,” the article said.
Meanwhile, the Baltimore public school system was recently criticized when the city said no students in 23 schools are proficient in math, Breitbart News reported.
Per the Fox article, a representative for Chicago Public Schools previously told the outlet the district saw that last year’s scores were “consistent with other large urban districts” and the scores reflect the coronavirus pandemic challenges, not the talent and potential of its students and employees.
The representative said leaders expect a strong recovery in the coming year, adding, “The majority of schools listed in the recent Wirepoints report are CPS Options Schools, which serve students who re-enrolled after dropping out.”
