Fewer than 1-in-3 Chicago Public Schools students read at grade level

Chicago Public Schools third- through eighth-grade state test scores increased in 2024, with reading finally surpassing 2019 levels. But for Chicago’s 11th grade students, both reading and math remained below pre-pandemic levels.

State test scores are in for Chicago Public Schools, and fewer than 1-in-3 students could read and fewer than 1-in-5 do math at their elementary grade level in 2024.

It was worse for the district’s 11th graders: fewer than 1 in 4 could read and math scores dropped nearly a percentage point from 2023.

The Illinois Report Card released Oct. 30 showed 30.5% of CPS students in third through eighth grade read at grade level in 2024 compared to 25.9% the previous school year. Math proficiency increased to 18.3% in 2024 from 17.5% in 2023.

Among Chicago’s 11th graders, only 22.4% could read at grade level in 2024 and 18.6% performed math proficiently, up just one-tenth of a percentage point in reading since the previous school year and down nearly one percentage point in math. Both reading and math proficiency for Chicago 11th graders remained below 2019 levels.

Absenteeism continued to hover well above the pre-pandemic rate of 24% in 2019 as Chicago schools continue to struggle to engage students, especially minority and low-income students. That means 1 in 4 CPS student missed 10% or more of the school year.

While the data reveals some gains, there is still more to be done. The district must make up for the learning losses and disengagement suffered by students after school closures during the pandemic, plus ensure every Chicago student is engaged and prepared to read and perform math at grade level.

Reading and math proficiency increases for Chicago third through eighth graders

Reading and math proficiency rates of Chicago Public School students on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness has improved since the previous year, according to data released by the Illinois State Board of Education.

In spring 2024, 30.5% of CPS students in third through eighth grade met proficiency standards in reading and 18.3% were proficient in math. That marks an increase of nearly 5 percentage points in reading and less than 1 percentage point in math from the previous year.

With these year-over-year increases, CPS students in third through eighth grades have finally recovered to pre-pandemic rates. Students recorded a 3.2 percentage point increase in the reading proficiency rate between the 2018-2019 school year, the last full school year prior to the pandemic-era school closures, and the most recent 2023-2024 school year data. The math proficiency rate still lags 2019 by 5.3 percentage points. Even with the increases, just 1 in 3 can read at grade level, and not even 1 in 5 can do math at grade level.

Reading barely rises as math proficiency drops for CPS 11th graders

For CPS high school students in 11th grade who are required to take the SAT in the spring as their state assessment, proficiency in reading increased by just one-tenth of a percentage point between 2023 and 2024. Only 22.4% of Chicago 11th graders – less than 1 in 4 – could read at grade level in 2024.

Math declined by half of a percentage point between 2023 and 2024 with only 18.6% of CPS students meeting proficiency – meaning not even 1 in 5 can do math at grade level.

Reading and math proficiency both continue to lag pre-pandemic levels for Chicago 11th graders. The reading proficiency rate in 2024 is 3.5 percentage points below the 2019 rate and the math proficiency rate is still 7.7 percentage points below 2019 as significant improvement remains necessary for Chicago 11th grade students.

Demographic achievement gaps persist in Chicago Public Schools

Low proficiency rates are concerning, but an even greater problem is the rate at which low-income students and minority students are struggling.

Just 23% of low-income students, 25.5% of Hispanic students and 22.6% of Black students in 3rd-8th grade met proficiency in reading. That means 8 percentage points fewer low-income students met reading proficiency standards than all district students, with Hispanic students’ reading 5 points below and Black students’ 8 points below.

In math, just 11.4% of low-income students, 13.2% of Hispanic students and 9.3% of Black students in 3rd-8th grade met proficiency. That means 7-percentage points fewer low-income students met math proficiency standards than all district students, with Hispanic students’ math 5 points below and Black students’ 9 points below.

Among 11th grade students, just 14.4% of low-income students were proficient in reading, 17.8% of Hispanic students and 11.5% of Black students. That means 8 percentage points fewer low-income 11th grade students met reading proficiency standards than all district students, with Hispanic students’ math proficiency rate 5 points below and Black students’ 11 points below.

In math, just 11.6% of low-income students in 11th grade met proficiency, 14.8% of Hispanic students and 7.4% of Black students. That means 7-percentage points fewer low-income 11th grade students met reading proficiency standards than all district students, with Hispanic students’ math proficiency rate 4 points below and Black students’ 11 points below.

Many Chicago Public Schools students are not receiving the preparation they need to perform at grade level, and this challenge is even more pronounced among low-income, Black and Hispanic students.

Chronic absenteeism rises as 3-in-5 students miss 10% or more school days

Chronic absenteeism – or missing 10% or more of the school year with or without an excuse – has risen once again. In 2024, 40.8% of CPS students were chronically absent.

In 2019, 24% of students were chronically absent. That percentage spiked in 2022 to a peak of 44.6% before slightly decreasing in 2023. But the most recent data shows absenteeism is once again on the rise in CPS as the district continues to struggle to engage students.

Chronic absenteeism is one percentage point higher in 2024 than in 2023 and nearly 17 percentage points higher than it had been in 2019.

Black, Hispanic and low-income students continue to record even higher rates of chronic absenteeism. In 2024, 46.2% of Black students were chronically absent, 42.5% of Hispanic students and 44.9% of low-income students.

In other words, 2 out of 5 students overall are chronically absent, with that increasing to nearly half of Black students and more than 2 in 5 Hispanic and low-income students.

Operational spending continues to rise in CPS

In fiscal year 2023, CPS spent $25,459 on operational spending per student – about $6,500 more than the state average. That is up from $24,132 in the previous fiscal year. Operational spending per student encompasses nearly all the costs for overall operations and instruction in the school district, only excluding certain expenditures such as capital spending and debt payment.

The budget for CPS in the current 2024-2025 school year shows $9.34 billion budgeted for debt, capital and operating funds. A recently released enrollment report by Chicago Public Schools shows 325,305 students were enrolled on the 20th day of the 2024-2025 school year. That means the all-in spending per student in CPS for the current school year – which includes operating expenditures and debt and capital expenditures – is $28,702.

More improvement needed to ensure a quality education in Chicago

While there were some improvements in proficiency in CPS during the past school year, the statistics are troubling for many Chicago students, particularly those who are minorities or low-income. As Chicagoans ready themselves for a school board election, the state of the district should be a concern. CPS continues to suffer with poor rates of proficiency, student disengagement and increasing costs. More must be done to ensure every Chicago student is prepared to succeed in school and beyond.