2023 Illinois Report Card Shows DPS Schools Making Progress in Graduation & Attendance Rates, District Focusing Efforts on Academic Proficiency

Decatur, Illinois — The 2023 Illinois Report Card released today shows gains in graduation rate, 9th graders on track to graduate, and attendance rates in Decatur Public Schools. DPS is also excelling in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. The District is focusing efforts on improving academic proficiency, by working to fill teacher vacancies and place a teaching assistant in every Kindergarten through 2nd grade classroom district-wide.

“I am very pleased to see some of the progress we are making in our schools,” said Decatur Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Rochelle Clark. “We know that there is still much work to be done to ensure our students have the supports they need in academics and social-emotional wellness. My staff and I continue to identify ways to meet those needs and address our challenges so that our students have every opportunity to reach their full potential and become productive citizens.”

Below are a few of the highlights for Decatur Public Schools from the 2023 Illinois Report Card:

• ●  Graduation Rates
  • ○  9th graders on track to graduate hits a 3-year high = 72.7%, up from 66.9% last year

    and 49.2% in 2021

  • ○  Graduation rate = 72.8%, up from 69.8% last year
• ●  Attendance and Absenteeism
  • ○  Attendance rate hits a 3-year high = 86.1%, up from 83.4% last year and 76.5% in

    2021

  • ○  Chronic absenteeism rate hits a 3-year low = 50.5%, down from 56.0% last year and

    58.9% in 2021

  • ○  Chronic truancy rate hits a 3-year low = 44.4%, down from 53.9% last year and 67.1%

    in 2021

  • ○  Average class size = 20, compared to state average of 21

    ● Teachers

  • ○  Teacher retention rate hits an all-time high = 84.9%, up from 72.9% last year, 68.1% in

    2021, 70.7% in 2020, 71.4% in 2019, 67.4% in 2018, and 67.4% in 2017

  • ○  Teachers with master or higher = 41.1%, up from 40.4% last year

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• ●  Career and Technical Education (CTE)
  • ○  4-year graduation rate for students enrolled in CTE programs (DPS has 1,251 students

    enrolled in CTE programs) = 98.9%, above state rate of 95.8%

  • ○  % of CTE students graduating having attained post-secondary credits in the relevant

    CTE program or program of study earned through a dual or concurrent enrollment or

    another credit transfer agreement = 44.8%, above state rate of 38.0%

• ●  Per pupil spending = $16,352

  DPS administrators recognize the need to improve these accountability indicators, particularly when it comes to academic proficiency and performance. We have put in place efforts aimed at increasing student proficiency, including:

• ●  Targeted recruitment efforts to fill teacher vacancies and reduce the number of long-term substitute teachers in classrooms district-wide
• ●  Placing a teaching assistant in every Kindergarten through 2nd grade classroom district-wide, to ensure our youngest learners have added instructional support, especially when it comes to differentiating instruction
• ●  Specific leadership training for principals by attending conferences at Harvard University
• ●  All teachers district-wide have been provided training on the new Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) process. MTSS is a framework that helps educators provide academic and behavioral strategies for students with various needs. DPS schools use this framework of interventions and supports to address behavioral and academic challenges, and identify struggling students early so that they can get assistance quickly. Click here to learn more

  about how we’re implementing the the MTSS process district-wide.

  Below is information about summative designations for each DPS school. Schools receive an annual summative designation on the Illinois Report Card, based on the school’s overall data, and the data for each student group, for all of the accountability indicators.

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