The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) published the 2024 Illinois Report Card today, which showcased some exciting growth for Mattoon CUSD #2 schools.
All Four Mattoon CUSD #2 School Sites Listed in the Report Card are Now Designated as Commendable
For the first time in six years, all Mattoon CUSD #2 schools earned a Commendable Rating from the Illinois State Board of Education, thanks to aligned improvement efforts from the district, building, department, teacher, and student levels.
“Every member of our school community made focused contributions to our overall improvement,” said Superintendent Tim Condron. “Our goals are aligned and everyone does their part - our preschoolers have goals, and so do our high schoolers. We are thankful for a united, team approach, and its impact is evident in our results.”
The 2024 Illinois Report Card is a snapshot of school performance data from the 2023-24 school year. The state’s rating for all schools is based on multiple metrics, including academic growth, proficiency, attendance, and graduation rate, for which schools earn a number of points. Riddle Elementary School, Williams Elementary School, and Mattoon Middle School’s total points increased significantly, with all three joining Mattoon High School in the Commendable category.
This pie chart explains the metrics evaluated at each school.
“We are excited to see improvements on all of our exams, including the SAT,” said Board Member Jake Uphoff. “Our community has a lot to be proud of in regard to the growth of our school district and its students in the past year.”
Illinois began issuing annual summative designations to schools in 2018 as part of a new accountability system. The designations were paused in 2020 and 2021 due to federal waivers, but resumed in 2022. These annual designations recognize schools with strong overall performance across a range of academic and student success indicators, which are the factors the school district has focused on during their improvement efforts since the pandemic.
“It’s nice to earn an “A” on this state evaluation,” commented Board Member John Hedges. “It should tell the community that what administrators, teachers, and students are doing every day is working. Having been part of the district leadership team for two years, I’ve seen firsthand how the district and schools work together to get these results. When we work together, we can do great things for kids.”
Exceptional Student Growth in ELA and Math - Growth Rate Above State Average
In grades 3-8, the largest component for school designation is student growth, accounting for 50% of the overall score. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, the weight of this metric is because “Growth is responsive to changes in classroom structures and practices.”
Growth in MCUSD #2 schools outpaced the state in both English Language Arts and Math. This means Mattoon students made more progress in English Language Arts and Math than peers across the state with similar starting points.
See this document for greater understanding on how student growth is calculated.
“We are able to help our students grow because our system is well-aligned.” said Mattoon Education Association President Dan Compton. “The accelerated rate of growth shows where we are going, and the fact that our trajectory is above the state average confirms that the hard work we are putting in as a team is having an impact on our students.”
Ongoing Growth and Improvement
While the district celebrates this recognition from the state, they are not quite satisfied. Improvement efforts for the 2024-2025 school year began in May of 2024 with analysis of data and establishing targets for improvement, with goals already on display at each campus.
All buildings, departments, teachers, and students have targeted strategies for reading, math, attendance, and behavior. This year, the high school has an additional goal targeting graduation rate as part of their annual school improvement plan, which dipped to 81%, down from an average of mid-90s.
In addition to the graduation rate, the district is focused on reducing chronic absenteeism. MCUSD #2 saw a reduction from 31% in the prior year, with strengthened systems to support students and families by responding to absences as they occur at lower levels. The plan includes interventions as early as three absences, with the intent of communicating support and engagement.
“We are happy with our progress,” noted Christy Hild, Director of Programming, “and there are still areas we are targeting as a team for improvement. The growth we are seeing indicates not only that our entire district is working hard together, but also that our strategies are the right ones. We just need time to keep providing targeted support to students in partnership with families, and the state’s recognition of our schools as “commendable” gives us the encouragement we need to continue our great work.”
Each school’s specific plan for improvement will be posted on the district website following the November Board Meeting. The district will take summative exams in the spring of 2025 and their other metrics will be finalized in May of 2025 for their next report card rating.
“The Commendable Designation for all of the district’s schools is a strong indication that the methodologies and strategies aimed at improvement are having an impact,” said Dale Righter, Board President. ”We have much of which to be proud, but more work to do as well. Congratulations and a sincere thanks to the district’s staff, students, and families who are supporting those students.”
To view the entire Mattoon CUSD #2 performance data for the 2023-24 school year, visit Illinoisreportcard.com. For more information on how to understand the Mattoon CUSD #2 Report card results, please reach out to Dr. Christy Hild, Director of Programming for the district at christyhild@mcusd2.com.
About the Illinois Report Card
IllinoisReportCard.com is the state’s official source for information about public schools across Illinois. The information on the webpage helps individuals act as informed partners in the education of children. Families, researchers, policy makers, and community members can use the site to find school data, including academic performance, school environment, educators, students, and highlights provided by principals.