Country Club Hills, IL – In a heartening announcement, Country Club Hills School District 160 has revealed significant advancements in student achievement and overall well-being following the release of the 2023-2024 Illinois Report Card by the Illinois State Board of Education. The Report Card, which can be accessed at www.illinoisreportcard.com, highlights the district’s unwavering commitment to nurturing innovative learning opportunities in a safe and supportive environment.

“While academic performance remains at the forefront of our objectives, we acknowledge that standardized test scores are just one facet of our mission,” stated officials from the district. “Our mission is to provide innovative learning opportunities in a nurturing and safe environment for all children as we prepare them for college and career readiness.”

The 2024 Report Card proudly showcases noteworthy achievements:

  • Decreased Student Mobility: Reduced from 15.6% to 13.2%
  • Reduced Chronic Absenteeism: Dropped from 57.6% to 43.9%
  • Increased Overall Attendance: Improved from 85.2% to 88.1%
  • Enhanced Reading Proficiency: Improved from 8.5% to 18.1% for grades 3-8
  • Improved Math Proficiency: Increased from 4.9% to 8.4% for grades 3-8
  • Enhanced Science Proficiency: Grown from 25.9% to 28.9% for 5th and 8th graders
  • Lowered Student-Teacher Ratio: Decreased from 26% to 20%
  • Growth in English Language Arts (ELA): Increased from 43.2% to 49.4% on the IAR
  • Growth in Math: Increased from 42.9% to 49.9% on the IAR

These improvements are a direct result of the district’s strategic investment in enhancing literacy and mathematics curricula for grades 3-8, along with a strong emphasis on professional development, coaching, and sustained classroom support for educators. Recognizing the importance of engaging families, the district continues to prioritize partnerships through community events and forums.

While the district celebrates these achievements, it remains committed to ongoing improvement. In the year ahead, major goals include:

  • Advancing proficiency and growth in literacy and numeracy
  • Increasing the percentage of 8th graders identified as “on track”
  • Meeting school improvement goals focused on reducing chronic absenteeism and other essential metrics
  • Enhancing proficiency across all student subgroups

In a notable development, the district is also excited to announce that two schools have progressed from the “Comprehensive” to “Targeted” category within the Annual Summative Designation, a federally mandated accountability assessment. This advancement reflects the district’s effective strategies in addressing the diverse needs of students across eight crucial performance indicators.

The district extends its deepest gratitude to the entire Country Club Hills School District #160 community—administrators, educators, staff, families, and the Board of Education—for their unwavering support and collaborative efforts, which have been instrumental in the ongoing success of their students. 

As the community looks forward to a promising year ahead, the focus remains firmly on fostering educational excellence for every student within the district.

Felicia Apprey is a Times Weekly contributor