Last Updated on February 21, 2023
In Illinois, a shocking analysis recently revealed that 60 schools across the state had zero students proficient in either math or reading in 2022.
23 schools, 18 of which are located in Chicago, had zero students demonstrating grade-level proficiency in either subject in 2022, according to an analysis of state data by Wirepoints. An additional seven Illinois schools had zero students proficient in reading alone, while 30 had zero proficient students in just math.
The shocking report comes as school districts across the country examine the effect of pandemic lockdowns and remote learning on students. Nationwide, standardized test scores suffered their largest year-to-year drop in history following near nationwide lockdowns, according to a report published last December.
The massive drop-off has led a handful of Democrats to break party ranks and question the disastrous effects of lockdowns. Illinois state Senator Willie Preston, a Democrat whose district includes part of Chicago’s South Side, blamed lockdowns for the city’s declining quality of education during a recent interview with Fox News.
“I believe this is something that is a byproduct of some of our policies that we were taking during COVID,” Preston told Fox News on Monday. “This is a very serious issue and one that as a father and as a lawmaker, I’m going to be addressing feverishly.”
The Chicago analysis comes just weeks after an examination of Baltimore public schools revealed similarly troubling results. In Baltimore, 23 public schools had zero students at grade-level proficiency in math in 2022.