(This is one of ten stories and fourteen tables associated with the release of the 1995 Illinois school report cards for city and suburban schools.)
Guide to interpreting standard test scores
Each spring, by law, Illinois public school students are given standard tests, and the results are made public every fall. Reading, writing and mathematics are tested in the 3rd, 6th, 8th and 10th grades; science and social studies are tested in the 4th, 7th and 11th grades.
Results for reading, math, social studies and science are given on a scale of 0 to 500; for writing, on a scale of 6 to 32. Composite scores from the American College Test are on a scale of 0 to 36.
The 1995 state averages are: 3rd-grade reading, 247; 6th-grade reading, 260; 8th-grade reading, 246; 10th-grade reading, 237; 3rd-grade math, 275; 6th-grade math, 272; 8th-grade math, 275; 10th-grade math, 259; 3rd-grade writing, 18.5; 6th-grade writing, 23.0; 8th-grade writing, 24.9; 10th-grade writing, 26.2; 4th-grade science, 243; 7th-grade science, 243; 11th-grade science, 256; 4th-grade social studies, 251; 7th-grade social studies, 244; 11th-grade social studies, 248; ACT composite, 21.1.
Each score listed in the tables is the average for the students at each school who took the test. The percentage of seniors who took the ACT also is noted; not all take it.
“Percent low income” refers to the students with incomes below the poverty line.
Source: Illinois State Board of Education.
Will County
%%
—-Reading—- –Mathematics– —–Writing—–
3rd 6th 8th 3rd 6th 8th 3rd 6th 8th
School District grade grade grade grade grade grade grade grade grade
Beecher 200 268 302 275 324 301 335 16.1 25.0 26.9
Chaney-Monge 88 232 217 229 244 256 264 17.6 21.6 23.2
Channahon 17 280 319 277 303 320 327 18.0 25.8 27.6
Crete Monee 201 274 287 252 299 297 269 19.4 24.1 25.5
Elwood 203 247 271 295 255 224 266 16.3 18.9 26.8
Fairmont 89 142 191 175 172 214 201 15.5 21.3 23.6
Frankfort 157 307 316 298 313 327 312 19.9 24.7 28.7
Homer 33 286 305 273 299 306 314 17.0 24.7 25.5
Joliet 86 215 199 203 241 221 225 17.2 21.6 23.3
Laraway 70 259 206 239 283 189 215 17.7 22.3 25.2
Lockport 91 272 267 270 296 265 287 21.4 22.5 25.0
Manhattan 114 293 298 283 304 279 300 20.6 25.3 27.3
Mokena 159 281 294 282 347 294 310 18.8 23.6 24.9
New Lenox 122 291 323 296 309 336 315 19.5 25.0 26.5
Peotone 207 297 320 283 342 330 330 21.5 26.6 25.7
Plainfield 202 273 308 265 290 316 300 19.0 24.8 25.4
Reed Custer 255 256 272 243 272 279 304 18.8 24.3 25.0
Richland 88 298 297 265 409 271 272 21.7 23.0 23.1
Rockdale 84 242 265 286 231 269 331 18.7 23.7 24.3
Summit Hill 161 305 323 279 369 342 326 19.8 25.1 26.7
Taft 90 226 255 246 233 246 267 17.1 22.1 26.2
Troy 30 288 292 271 317 309 302 19.7 23.7 26.3
Union 81 248 250 236 319 246 266 18.3 21.1 24.8
Valley View 365 272 272 251 314 286 298 18.7 22.0 24.8
Will County 92 243 247 227 251 248 263 17.3 22.4 23.4
Wilmington 209 229 237 228 271 251 237 16.7 21.9 25.1
Social
–Science– –studies– Cost
4th 7th 4th 7th per % low
School District grade grade grade grade pupil income
Beecher 200 288 296 309 294 $3,975 3.9
Chaney-Monge 88 248 241 228 226 $3,290 20.0
Channahon 17 283 290 283 275 $3,533 5.9
Crete Monee 201 255 252 246 240 $5,390 20.8
Elwood 203 283 264 294 277 $3,042 4.8
Fairmont 89 191 167 175 179 $4,971 80.4
Frankfort 157 276 303 279 296 $4,254 0.7
Homer 33 279 285 287 281 $3,520 0.5
Joliet 86 201 195 204 196 $5,024 56.9
Laraway 70 198 216 206 222 $5,645 39.9
Lockport 91 256 261 263 240 $3,236 5.7
Manhattan 114 306 265 306 253 $3,785 4.2
Mokena 159 278 294 289 281 $3,528 3.5
New Lenox 122 283 291 289 290 $3,736 2.2
Peotone 207 285 261 297 249 $3,803 3.1
Plainfield 202 273 272 280 262 $4,768 1.7
Reed Custer 255 266 288 249 258 $8,355 18.7
Richland 88 310 278 323 297 $4,777 22.1
Rockdale 84 239 211 218 196 $4,343 34.0
Summit Hill 161 290 250 273 265 $3,704 2.3
Taft 90 249 266 238 260 $3,035 18.8
Troy 30 275 258 277 254 $4,056 7.0
Union 81 261 208 272 205 $3,203 23.6
Valley View 365 264 246 271 243 $5,500 16.9
Will County 92 263 247 265 221 $3,434 10.0
Wilmington 209 259 252 280 275 $4,364 17.9 %% %% %%
