By Sarah DeMaranville

A review of five years of Illinois School Report Card data shows Geneseo CUSD 228 has largely recovered from significant academic declines that followed the COVID-19 pandemic, with the district posting some of its strongest academic results in recent years.

The Illinois State Board of Education releases annual report cards for every school district in the state, measuring student achievement, graduation rates, attendance, funding adequacy, and other key indicators.

While a single year's report can provide a snapshot, examining five years of data reveals a broader story: strong pre-pandemic performance, a sharp decline in achievement, and a substantial rebound.

Academic Performance Rebounds

Districtwide English Language Arts proficiency remained relatively steady in 2020-21 and 2021-22, with approximately 49% of students meeting or exceeding state standards. Math performance was similarly strong, hovering around 50% proficiency.

Then came a dramatic drop. In 2022-23, English Language Arts proficiency fell to 34.9%, while math proficiency dropped to 26.9%. The following year showed little improvement, with math proficiency slipping further to 25.0%.

The most recent report card, however, showed a significant turnaround. For the 2024-25 school year, English Language Arts proficiency climbed to 58.1%, while math proficiency rose to 45.8%.

Although changes in state reporting methodologies make direct year-to-year comparisons imperfect, the overall trend suggests students have regained much of the ground lost during the years immediately following the pandemic.

Attendance Remains a Challenge

One metric that mirrors the academic trends is chronic absenteeism.

In 2020-21, the district reported chronic absenteeism at 4.0%. That figure rose to 9.8% in 2021-22 and peaked at 13.4% in 2022-23.

The district has since improved, reporting 10.8% chronic absenteeism in 2023-24 and 11.4% in 2024-25.

While attendance has improved from its peak absenteeism levels, it remains notably higher than pre-pandemic figures.

Educational research consistently identifies attendance as one of the strongest predictors of student success, making it an area district leaders will likely continue to monitor.

Graduation Rates Remain Strong

One area where Geneseo has consistently excelled is high school graduation.

The district's graduation rate has remained near 98% in recent years, including a 97.9% graduation rate in the latest report card.

That means nearly all students entering Geneseo High School are successfully completing their education and earning a diploma.

The district also continues to outperform state averages in measures tied to long-term student success. The most recent report card showed a 98% Ninth Grade On Track rate, compared to the statewide average of 89%. The metric measures whether freshmen are meeting academic and attendance benchmarks that put them on pace to graduate.

Reading Continues to Outpace Math

A recurring trend throughout the report cards is stronger performance in reading than mathematics.

In the most recent report card:

58.1% of students met or exceeded standards in English Language Arts.
45.8% met or exceeded standards in mathematics.

The gap is consistent with statewide trends, where districts across Illinois continue to work to rebuild math achievement following pandemic-related disruptions. Still, district leaders pointed to significant progress in mathematics. The percentage of Geneseo eighth graders passing Algebra I increased from 46% to 59% in the latest report card, compared to a statewide average of 31%.

Three Schools Earn Exemplary Status

The district's academic progress was reflected in school-level designations released by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Geneseo High School, Millikin Elementary, and Northside Elementary each earned Exemplary status for 2024-25, placing them among the top 10% of public schools in Illinois.

Geneseo Middle School and Southwest Elementary received Commendable status, the state's second-highest designation.

"We are incredibly proud of our students, staff and families for the hard work that takes place every day in all of our buildings," Superintendent Dr. Laura Delgado said when the report card results were released. "That three of our schools earned Exemplary status is a reflection of the commitment our entire community makes to support education and foster an ongoing culture of excellence."

School Board President Kane Causemaker also praised the results, noting that the report card findings reflected the district's culture of achievement and support for students.

District Credits Strategic Efforts for Improvement

Delgado said the district's recent gains reflect years of focused work following the pandemic.

"As you can imagine, much goes into understanding and interpreting the School Report Cards," Delgado said. "We are very proud of our statistics."

According to Delgado, multiple initiatives contributed to the district's improvement, including a renewed focus on high-quality instructional practices, support from instructional coaches and interventionists, and the continued use of Professional Learning Communities to align teaching practices and learning standards.

"These supports remain in place and are embedded in the core of our Strategic Plan," Delgado said. "We are confident that the district will continue to grow as we focus our efforts on the three pillars of our plan."

Delgado said the district's improvement in mathematics is particularly encouraging.

"The increase in our math scores is very encouraging, as it validates the efforts of our Professional Learning Communities, collaborative leadership teams, coaches, and math interventionists," she said.

A Story of Recovery

Viewed together, the five years of report cards tell a story that will sound familiar to many educators and families.

Geneseo entered the pandemic era with strong academic performance. Student achievement then declined sharply during the years that followed, particularly in mathematics.

The most recent report card suggests students have made significant progress in recovering those losses. The district's gains were accompanied by state recognition for three schools that earned Exemplary status, placing them among the top-performing schools in Illinois.

Challenges remain, particularly in attendance and math achievement, but the overall direction of the data points upward.

The next Illinois School Report Card, expected to be released in late October, will help determine whether the gains seen in 2024-25 represent a lasting trend or the continuation of a broader post-pandemic recovery.

Visit illinoisreportcard.com for more details.