Naperville school districts fare well on state report card but chronic absenteeism still a problem
After increasing in the wake of COVID-19, chronic absenteeism remains a problem at both Naperville-area school districts, according to the newly released 2023 Illinois Report Card.
Per the annual review from the Illinois State Board of Education, 16.9% of students at Naperville District 203 were chronically absent in the 2022-23 school year, up 12.4% from five years prior. Over the same period, chronic absenteeism at Indian Prairie District 204 jumped 10.6%.
Chronic absenteeism is one of several indicators of student performance the state includes in its yearly report card, which was released this week by ISBE.
Asked about the outlook of chronic absenteeism locally in recent stats, District 203 spokesman Alexander Mayster emphasized in an email that it’s “a problem across the state, not just in Naperville 203.”
Illinois law defines a chronic absentee as a student who misses 10% of school days within an academic year with or without a valid excuse. That’s 18 days in an average 180-day school year.
At the state level, chronic absenteeism — which skyrocketed during the pandemic — fell slightly in the 2022-23 school year, dropping from 29.8% to 28.3%. Despite the modest improvement, the state board of education says chronic absenteeism in Illinois remains “alarmingly high.”
District 203 has followed a similar pattern over the past few years. Chronic absenteeism decreased by nearly 3% in 2022-23, but that was after rates more than doubled between the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years. Still, rates have a way to go before they are on par with pre-pandemic averages.
Mayster said he had no explanation for “the reasons why some families are not sending their kids to school” but said the district is “in the process of examining what our school day and educational process (looks like) to ensure we are offering a model that works for all students.”
Meanwhile, at Indian Prairie, chronic absenteeism has continued to grow annually since the 2019-20 school year.
After jumping from 7.7% to 16.4% between the 2020-21 to 2021-22 school years, the rate of absenteeism rose again to 19.3% last school year.
District 204 officials recognize that chronic absenteeism remains a concern but that “it is a concern that can be seen throughout the state and across the country,” Superintendent Adrian Talley wrote in an email.
“Since the return to learn after the pandemic,” Talley said, “we have noted that parents are keeping children home from school in greater numbers than before. … Some students are being kept at home due to illness. Some families are taking their students out of school in order to visit family out of the country.”
Talley said Indian Prairie is continuing to work with parents regarding the benefits of strong attendance in the classroom.
Academic performance and student success
Absenteeism aside, Indian Prairie and Naperville districts still posted high marks in the ISBE’s annual report card, with schools from each ranking among the top in the state.
As part of the report card, schools are rated “exemplary,” “commendable,” “targeted,” “comprehensive” or “intensive support.”
Exemplary schools are those performing in the top 10%, while those deemed commendable are meeting expectations. Targeted, comprehensive and intensive support schools receive additional funding and support to improve student outcomes, according to the state board of education.
Eight of Naperville 203′s 22 schools were designated exemplary for the last school year: Naperville North High School; Madison Junior High School; Ellsworth Elementary School; Highlands Elementary School; Prairie Elementary School; Meadow Glens Elementary School; River Woods Elementary School; and Scott Elementary School.
The district’s remaining 13 schools were commendable, the state report card said.
In a statement to the district community, District 203 Superintendent Dan Bridges said, “Our students and staff are knocking it out of the park.
“We’re glad to see our schools are exemplary and commendable on the ISBE Report Card, but I am even more proud of how we are making school a place where kids love to learn and grow,” he said. “It’s happening through innovative learning practices, inclusive environments, targeted supports and exciting real-world experiences.”
Indian Prairie had five exemplary schools: Metea Valley High School; Neuqua Valley High School; Oliver Julian Kendall Elementary School; Robert Clow Elementary School; and Patterson Elementary School.
Most of the district’s 32 sites met expectations, the report card found, but two classified as targeted: Brookdale Elementary School and Longwood Elementary School.
Brookdale Elementary School, located at 1200 Redfield Road in Naperville, was targeted “to support the achievement of Black/African American” students. A year prior, Brookdale received a commendable designation.
The 2023 report targeted Longwood Elementary School, 30W240 Bruce Lane in Naperville, to support Black/African American students, children with disabilities and low-income students. The state also designated Longwood commendable in previous reports.
Districtwide, both Indian Prairie and Naperville saw improvement in English and math proficiency rates in the 2022-23 school year, report card data showed.
Indian Prairie in particular lauded the improvement after seeing impacts to student performance during and since the pandemic.
“We are pleased that we are returning to pre-pandemic numbers,” Talley said.
The district used federal grant funding to address learning loss, he said, and they have been “hopeful for a quick return to pre-pandemic numbers.”
“As we continue to address the learning needs of the children with direct instruction and interventions, we feel we will continue to see gains in this area,” he said.
Chicago Tribune reporters Shanzeh Ahmad, Sarah Macaraeg and Steve Sadin contributed.
