District 65 test scores show uneven progress in math, growth in English language arts – Evanston RoundTable

Analysis of Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Academic Performance in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

This report analyzes the 2024-2025 academic test results from Evanston/Skokie School District 65, focusing on performance in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. The findings are contextualized within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). The data, derived from the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), reveals progress in certain areas aligned with SDG 4, but also highlights significant challenges in achieving equitable outcomes as mandated by SDG 10.

Overall District Performance and SDG 4 Targets

The district’s performance presents a mixed landscape when evaluated against SDG Target 4.1, which aims to ensure that all children complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.

English Language Arts (ELA)

• Overall proficiency in ELA across the district increased by 11 percentage points between 2019 and 2025, indicating positive momentum towards achieving quality educational outcomes in literacy.
• This progress represents consistent gains since 2019, suggesting that improvements are not merely a recovery to pre-pandemic levels.
• Eleven schools within the district recorded gains in ELA proficiency between 2023 and 2025.

Mathematics

• District-wide proficiency scores in mathematics remained flat between 2019 and 2025.
• This stagnation indicates a significant challenge in meeting the numeracy-related aspects of SDG Target 4.1.
• Performance was highly varied across schools, with slight declines noted across all demographic groups between 2024 and 2025.

School-Specific Performance Review

Elementary and Magnet School Analysis

Performance at the elementary level showed significant variance, with some schools making substantial progress while others faced declines.

1. Schools with Notable Progress:
   • Dawes Elementary demonstrated the largest increase in ELA performance, rising from 32% proficiency in 2023 to 56% in 2025.
   • Dawes also improved in math by 13 percentage points, with 45% of students achieving proficiency.
2. Schools with Performance Declines:
   • Lincolnwood Elementary saw ELA proficiency decline from 57% in 2023 to 48% in 2025.
   • Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies experienced a drop in ELA proficiency from 23% to 18%.
   • Walker, Washington, and Lincoln Elementary schools all reported significant declines in math proficiency. Walker’s performance declined across every demographic group.

Middle School Analysis

All three middle schools in District 65 demonstrated significant gains in both ELA and mathematics, aligning positively with SDG 4 objectives for secondary education.

1. Chute Middle School: Recorded the greatest gains in both subjects. ELA proficiency reached 60%, and math proficiency reached 35% in 2025.
2. Haven Middle School: Showed gains in ELA across every demographic group, reaching 61% overall proficiency. Math proficiency improved to 46%.
3. Nichols Middle School: Achieved the highest performance, with 66% proficiency in ELA and 50% in math. However, this school also exemplifies the challenges related to SDG 10.

Analysis of Educational Disparities (SDG 10)

The data reveals a persistent racial achievement gap, indicating a critical challenge in meeting SDG Target 10.3: “ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome.” While some progress has been made, disparities, especially in mathematics, remain stark and undermine the goal of inclusive and equitable education for all.

Racial Achievement Gap Analysis

• ELA Performance Gap: The achievement gap in reading has shown some progress since 2019. This is attributed to significant proficiency gains by Black and Hispanic students, while white student performance remained flat or, in some schools (Bessie Rhodes, Lincolnwood, Lincoln), declined.
  • At Dawes Elementary, Black student proficiency in ELA improved from 9% to 35% between 2023 and 2025.
  • Hispanic student proficiency at Dawes rose from 35% to 48% in the same period.
• Mathematics Performance Gap: The gap in math remains a profound challenge to achieving SDG 10.
  • At Nichols Middle School, 68% of white students were proficient in math, compared to only 36% of Hispanic students and 16% of Black students.
  • The proficiency gap between white and Black students is particularly wide at several schools: 66 percentage points at Lincolnwood, 65 at Kingsley, and 63 at Orrington.

The continued existence of these disparities, particularly in foundational subjects like mathematics, directly contravenes the principles of SDG 10. Addressing this inequality is essential for the district to fulfill its commitment to providing equitable educational opportunities for every student.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

1. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • The article’s primary focus is on the quality of education within Evanston/Skokie School District 65. It analyzes student performance and learning outcomes in core subjects like English language arts (ELA) and math, which is central to SDG 4’s mission to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education. The text discusses “district-wide improvements in English language arts” and “uneven progress in math,” directly addressing the effectiveness of educational programs.

2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • A significant theme of the article is the “persistent racial achievement gap.” It repeatedly highlights the disparities in educational outcomes among students of different racial backgrounds (Black, Hispanic, and white). For example, it states, “the achievement gap is still prominent at Nichols, with just 16% of Black students and 36% of Hispanic students at or above grade level in math. Comparatively, 68% of white students were at or above grade level in math.” This focus on inequality in educational attainment directly connects to SDG 10, which aims to reduce inequality within and among countries.

Specific Targets Identified

1. Target 4.1: Ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.

   • The article directly addresses this target by evaluating the learning outcomes of students in elementary and middle schools (primary and lower secondary education). The entire analysis is based on proficiency rates from the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), which measures whether students are achieving “effective learning outcomes.” The discussion of the “racial achievement gap” speaks to the challenge of providing “equitable” quality education.

2. Target 4.5: Eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education… for the vulnerable…

   • While the article does not discuss gender, it provides extensive data on racial disparities, which falls under the goal of ensuring equal access for vulnerable groups. The article’s core purpose is to report on the performance differences between racial groups, such as the finding that at Lincolnwood, “the gap between white and Black student proficiency is 66 percentage points.” This directly relates to the goal of eliminating disparities in education.

3. Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome…

   • The article is a clear examination of “inequalities of outcome” in education. The test scores represent the outcomes, and the disparities between racial groups are the inequalities. The article notes, “Across District 65, the gap in achievement by race in both math and reading persisted, with disparities especially stark in math.” This analysis of outcome gaps is a direct reflection of the concerns addressed by Target 10.3.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. Indicator 4.1.1: Proportion of children and young people achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics.

   • The article is built around this indicator. It explicitly states the percentage of students who are proficient in ELA (reading) and math. For example, it reports that at Nichols Middle School, “66% of students [were] at or above ELA grade level proficiency in 2025 and 50% meeting or exceeding expectations in math.” It also tracks changes over time, noting that “the number of District 65 students proficient in ELA rose by 11 percentage points” between 2019 and 2025.

2. Disaggregated Proficiency Data by Race/Ethnicity

   • The article consistently disaggregates the proficiency data by race, which serves as a practical indicator for Targets 4.5 and 10.3. It provides specific data points such as, “The percentage of Black students reaching proficiency at Dawes improved from 9% to 35% from 2023 to 2025, and the percentage of Hispanic students performing at or above grade level went from 35% to 48% during the same period.” This disaggregated data is crucial for measuring the “achievement gap” and tracking progress toward reducing educational inequality.

Summary of Findings

Source: evanstonroundtable.com