Illinois high school students must take the SAT to graduate, but their statewide average scores have been dropping in both reading and math. They test again in April.
PRESS RELEASE from the
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
CONTACT: Micky Horstman (312) 607-4977
Post-pandemic dip continues: Illinois statewide SAT scores drop
Illinois high school students must take the SAT to graduate, but their statewide average scores have been dropping in both reading and math. They test again in April.
CHICAGO (March 7, 2023) – Illinois’ statewide average SAT scores declined by 10 points in reading and 13 points in math from 2021 to 2022. Since 2019, before the pandemic, the average statewide SAT score in Illinois has dropped 11 points in reading and 23 in math.
The Illinois Policy Institute today released a comprehensive review of statewide SAT scores.
Thousands of 11th grade students will take the SAT this April to both give the state an assessment of proficiency for Illinois high school students and provide students with a score to use for college applications. Illinois requires all high school juniors to take the SAT to graduate from high school.
Among Illinois’ 20 largest school districts based on enrollment numbers in 2022, only nine beat the state average in reading and 10 in math.
The largest drop in reading came from Aurora East Unit School District 131, which experienced a 23-point drop since 2019. As for math, Wheeling-Elk Grove Township High School District 214 took the biggest hit with a drop of over 33 points.
Students in Chicago Public Schools scored below the statewide average on the SAT in 2022. Reading scores dropped 8.2 points since 2019 and math scores dropped by 23.6 points.
Quote from policy expert Mailee Smith:
“Declining SAT scores are another red flag when studying trends that tell us how our kids are doing academically. Tests are one important way we can measure student performance overall and understand how outcomes are changing for the kids in our schools over time. An examination of SAT data show kids are doing worse now than they were before the pandemic.”
To read the full report, visit illin.is/illinoissat
For bookings or interviews, contact media@illinoispolicy.org or (312) 607-4977.