(This is one of eight stories and twelve tables associated with the release of the 1994 Illinois school report cards for suburban schools.)
Guide for interpreting standard test scores from Illinois public schools
Each spring, by law, Illinois public school students are given standard tests, and the results are made public every fall. Reading, writing and mathematics are tested in the 3rd, 6th, 8th and 10th grades; and science and social studies are tested in the 4th, 7th and 11th grades.
Results for the Chicago Board of Education were published in the Oct. 27 Tribune. Results for the remaining Chicago-area districts appear here.
Results for reading, math, social studies and science are given on a scale of 0 to 500; writing, on a scale of 6 to 32. Composite scores from the American College Test are on a scale of 0 to 36.
In 1994, the method of calculation was changed for the reading and math tests for 3rd, 6th and 8th grades, so scores for children who took the tests this year cannot be directly compared with scores in earlier years.
The 1994 state averages are: 3rd-grade reading, 255; 6th-grade reading, 263; 8th-grade reading, 260; 10th-grade reading, 244; 3rd-grade math, 271; 6th-grade math, 263; 8th-grade math, 273; 10th-grade math, 254; 3rd-grade writing, 18.7; 6th-grade writing, 22.5; 8th-grade writing, 24.0; 10th-grade writing, 25.3; 4th-grade science, 246; 7th-grade science, 242; 11th-grade science, 256; 4th-grade social studies, 245; 7th-grade social studies, 248; 11th-grade social studies, 245; ACT composite, 21.0.
Each score listed is the average for the students at each school who took the test. The percentage of seniors who took the ACT also is noted; not all take it.
"Percent low income" refers to the students with incomes below the poverty line.
Source: Illinois State Board of Education.