(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.
An x indicates that either no test was administered or the information was unavailable.
Source: Illinois State Board of Education.
Suburban Cook County
%%
—-Reading—- –Mathematics– —–Writing—–
3rd 6th 8th 3rd 6th 8th 3rd 6th 8th
School District grade grade grade grade grade grade grade grade grade
Mannheim 83 266 273 245 282 293 278 19.0 24.3 26.0
Matteson 159 277 280 252 329 277 281 18.7 23.1 25.5
Matteson 162 257 250 243 280 250 258 18.9 22.9 25.0
Maywd.-Mel. Pk.-Brdvw.
89 180 206 190 210 216 200 16.6 22.6 23.2
Midlothian 143 249 260 228 296 245 257 18.5 21.8 23.8
Morton Grove 70 264 314 281 283 311 326 22.6 25.2 28.2
Mount Prospect 57 289 318 292 354 332 340 21.0 25.2 28.4
Niles 71 262 331 304 329 359 330 18.3 24.9 28.3
Norridge 80 267 279 260 322 307 302 18.3 24.4 26.6
North Palos 117 273 274 255 295 281 292 21.2 24.8 26.7
Northbrook 27 316 316 315 374 352 394 22.1 24.9 29.0
Northbrook 28 325 331 317 372 371 387 20.8 27.3 28.4
Northbrook/Glenview 30 314 304 319 355 336 375 19.4 24.9 28.7
Oak Lawn-Hometown 123 277 295 274 306 307 302 19.9 25.5 28.3
Oak Park 97 296 303 281 308 323 315 19.7 25.9 26.9
Orland 135 285 296 267 322 329 330 20.3 26.5 26.9
Palatine 15 306 327 291 334 365 322 20.5 26.3 27.8
Palos 118 317 339 282 370 357 353 22.6 26.2 28.6
Palos Heights 128 316 306 297 289 324 346 18.8 24.9 27.8
Park Forest 163 205 204 203 212 228 217 16.8 21.2 22.3
Park Ridge 64 301 315 300 329 332 348 20.2 25.0 27.0
Patton 133 323 185 164 328 184 171 19.2 20.4 20.9
146 Pennoyer 79 262 266 261 299 295 307 18.9 23.3 25.9
Pleasantdale 107 314 335 278 380 360 363 21.1 26.2 28.3
Posen-Robbins 143 189 184 191 238 189 208 18.1 21.1 22.0
Prairie-Hills 144 205 225 203 214 227 207 16.7 21.1 22.6
Prospect Heights 23 283 298 276 327 307 318 21.1 25.0 28.1
Rhodes 84 254 262 255 278 257 342 17.4 22.6 26.0
Ridgeland 122 279 331 265 351 342 278 20.5 26.1 26.0
River Forest 90 335 344 310 411 355 351 22.2 26.1 27.1
River Grove 85 268 272 268 301 288 301 18.8 25.5 28.1
River Trails 26 333 298 265 367 309 323 20.5 24.8 26.3
Riverside 96 312 331 269 355 334 323 21.0 24.9 25.9
Rosemont 78 273 289 290 431 337 407 19.5 26.4 28.4
Sandridge 172 234 249 248 219 258 243 16.2 21.4 23.4
Sauk Village 168 222 215 236 241 249 289 17.2 22.1 23.6
Schaumburg 54 278 294 269 319 321 304 20.0 24.7 26.6
Schiller Park 81 279 230 221 333 227 242 21.1 21.3 22.0
Skokie Fairview 72 283 282 256 321 365 337 20.0 22.8 26.3
Skokie 68 267 312 274 306 337 344 19.7 24.7 27.5
Skokie 69 267 266 263 306 320 328 19.7 23.8 26.7
Skokie 73 283 293 282 307 321 360 20.5 25.6 26.6
South Holland 150 262 296 255 289 280 305 19.5 22.3 24.1
South Holland 151 242 241 213 268 289 237 17.9 20.3 22.6
Steger 194 252 295 255 290 276 259 17.6 23.3 23.2
Summit 104 209 263 220 233 303 265 18.0 23.9 24.1
Sunnybrook 171 257 268 225 295 299 273 17.9 23.6 25.5
Sunset Ridge 29 327 330 346 387 406 425 20.9 24.4 29.3
Thornton 154 270 304 283 314 313 324 18.7 23.9 24.5
Tinley Park 146 280 297 271 297 303 313 20.6 25.5 27.1
Union Ridge 86 260 265 256 302 273 285 20.1 24.5 26.1
West Harvey-Dixmoor 147 166 139 164 185 166 160 15.4 19.1 21.6
West Northfield 31 289 338 307 364 354 377 20.1 26.4 27.8
Westchester 92 291 273 265 289 288 300 20.8 24.6 27.3
Western Springs 101 323 341 314 344 370 376 20.6 27.7 28.6
Wheeling 21 291 283 269 343 310 323 21.2 25.7 26.9
Willow Springs 108 257 279 264 334 306 324 18.4 23.0 26.0
Wilmette 39 333 355 332 357 397 398 21.2 27.9 29.2
Winnetka 36 325 351 336 360 389 399 19.6 24.9 27.5
Worth 127 283 261 257 346 255 286 20.6 23.9 25.5
Social
–Science– –studies– Cost
4th 7th 4th 7th per % low
School District grade grade grade grade pupil income
Mannheim 83 254 235 250 241 $6,953 24.5
Matteson 159 261 266 273 264 $5,802 16.0
Matteson 162 245 238 273 258 $5,735 10.0
Maywd.-Mel. Pk.-Brdvw.
89 180 192 175 209 $4,280 41.7
Midlothian 143 210 237 223 235 $4,950 34.4
Morton Grove 70 263 277 279 292 $6,617 8.9
Mount Prospect 57 289 287 286 276 $7,032 2.1
Niles 71 301 292 300 282 $9,918 18.2
Norridge 80 244 287 268 280 $4,686 1.6
North Palos 117 271 239 280 243 $5,245 16.9
Northbrook 27 293 309 318 343 $7,848 1.0
Northbrook 28 311 321 304 335 $10,029 0.6
Northbrook/Glenview 30 285 293 305 305 $7,701 1.1
Oak Lawn-Hometown 123 279 269 282 274 $4,969 2.8
Oak Park 97 300 280 294 288 $6,151 9.0
Orland 135 278 283 285 293 $5,461 5.1
Palatine 15 287 276 315 282 $6,244 15.3
Palos 118 311 294 331 282 $5,714 2.3
Palos Heights 128 294 274 322 271 $6,186 2.9
Park Forest 163 202 217 225 225 $6,576 42.7
Park Ridge 64 295 290 309 293 $7,244 1.2
Patton 133 146 176 187 196 $4,520 85.0
Pennoyer 79 252 253 262 260 $5,368 3.0
Pleasantdale 107 341 288 322 265 $7,922 2.2
Posen-Robbins 143 341 184 194 198 $4,848 79.5
Prairie-Hills 144 199 180 209 196 $4,319 50.3
Prospect Heights 23 289 272 290 257 $5,910 3.9
Rhodes 84 272 262 293 268 $7,506 26.3
Ridgeland 122 287 264 291 268 $5,484 5.9
River Forest 90 322 315 339 328 $6,599 0.8
River Grove 85 255 246 273 269 $4,885 6.2
River Trails 26 273 271 279 266 $6,289 17.0
Riverside 96 327 291 334 298 $6,783 2.4
Rosemont 78 254 265 305 270 $8,947 11.3
Sandridge 172 224 228 233 219 $3,541 15.7
Sauk Villag 168 208 220 226 242 $4,268 43.3
Schaumburg 54 275 276 322 282 $6,710 3.7
Schiller Park 81 221 218 231 225 $5,415 33.1
Skokie Fairview 72 238 277 250 269 $8,487 7.5
Skokie 68 271 292 293 299 $8,442 13.8
Skokie 69 271 258 293 243 $6,469 19.4
Skokie 73 229 276 247 269 $6,973 8.6
South Holland 150 261 277 262 286 $4,781 3.1
South Holland 151 223 194 233 215 $5,927 50.3
Steger 194 247 233 270 252 $4,200 26.8
Summit 104 224 216 234 234 $5,353 28.2
Sunnybrook 171 245 234 248 237 $4,305 8.3
Sunset Ridge 29 304 311 312 285 $8,984 0.5
Thornton 154 279 256 281 265 $4,370 1.0
Tinley Park 146 260 260 269 252 $5,153 6.7
Union Ridge 86 281 281 266 275 $5,808 15.4
West Harvey-Dixmoor 147 157 151 165 166 $5,648 94.8
West Northfield 31 314 265 340 298 $8,469 2.7
Westchester 92 276 261 308 271 $5,671 1.8
Western Springs 101 332 330 339 329 $5,527 0.7
Wheeling 21 273 263 286 266 $6,025 17.2
Willow Springs 108 271 274 292 271 $4,514 8.5
Wilmette 39 344 341 355 336 $6,489 1.4
Winnetka 36 315 334 324 320 $8,829 0
Worth 127 283 258 307 256 $4,362 9.9 %%
