State report card data confirms Coal City students are achieving proficiency at rates well above the state average, surpassing state benchmarks and outperforming peers statewide on annual assessments.
Jennifer Kenney, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, reports students at all grade levels—third to eighth— are hitting proficiency benchmarks well above the state average in reading, math and science.
Proficiency rates reported in the Illinois Report Card are based on student scores from state assessments completed in spring 2025.
According to the report released in late October, 59.6 percent of Coal City third graders tested proficient in the area of English/language arts [ELA] compared to 47.3 percent statewide. ELA proficiency increased to 70.7 percent at fourth grade and 74.8 percent among fifth graders, the comparable state averages were 50.7 percent and 54.2 percent respectively.
Coal City Middle School sixth graders ELA proficiency was recorded at 73.7 percent, 19.9 percentage points higher than the state average. Students in seventh and eighth grade outperformed their Illinois peers by roughly 30 percent or more. The proficiency scored for Coal City seventh graders was 87 percent and 84.3 percent among eighth graders.
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness [IAR] is the assessment tool the state uses to measure public school students in grades 3-8 not only in ELA, but mathematics as well.
In mathematics, at least 51 percent of Coal City students in grades three through eight demonstrated proficiency, significantly outperforming statewide averages, which hovered in the 30 percent range in all but one grade level—fourth grade.
Coal City Elementary School’s third graders posted a math proficiency score of 58.3 percent. At the Intermediate School, fourth and fifth grade scores were 51.6 percent and 53.3 percent respectively.
Math proficiency among sixth to eighth grade students at Coal City Middle School was at least 24.6 percentage points higher than the state average. The state data shows 59.9 percent of sixth grade Coalers are proficient in math, 63.4 percent of seventh graders and 57.2 percent of eighth graders.
The IAR also tests fifth and eighth graders in science. Coal City students posted proficiency rates of 58.5 percent in fifth grade and 57.2 percent in eighth grade, compared to state scores of 40.2 percent and 44.6 percent respectively.
During the 2024–2025 school year, the state transitioned high school assessments to the ACT Exam, administered to 11th graders in English, math, reading, science, and writing. Completion of the ACT is a state requirement for graduation.
When taking the exam last spring, the Coal City High School Class of 2026 posted an ELA proficiency score of 60.6 percent, above the state average of 51.3 percent and inline with neighboring high schools such as Wilmington and Morris.
Math proficiency among the students was scored at 48.8 percent nearly 10 percentage points higher than the state average. In the area of science, 51.5 percent tested proficient compared to 48.2 percent of students statewide.
To better prepare students for the ACT Exam in their junior year, ninth- and tenth-graders take the Pre-ACT Exam, which identifies their academic strengths and areas for growth while assessing college readiness.
In ninth grade, ELA scores fell just under the statewide average with 61.1 percent of Coalers testing proficient, while ninth grade math proficiency was at 51 percent, well above the state average.
Last year’s sophomore class posted an ELA proficiency score of 57.1 percent, two percentage points higher than the statewide average. Again, math scores were significantly higher than the state average of 34.3 percent with 48.7 percent testing proficient.
In the area of science, students at both the ninth and tenth grade level posted scores below the state average in science. Among ninth graders 38.1 percent tested proficient and in 10th grade it was 48.6 percent.
According to Kenney, not only was this the first time ninth and 10th graders have been required to take a state assessment, it was also the first time a science assessment has been part of the exam.
“Science is an area that we are going to focus on,” she said, noting the science portion of the exam, “is very reading intensive,” and requires students to make conclusions on that reading.
Proficiency and student growth are a large portion of determining a school’s summative designation. As previously communicated, Coal City High School and Coal City Intermediate School earned Exemplary Designations. These academic centers rank among the top 10 percent of all elementary and high schools in the state.
“To be in the top 10 percent of schools across the state is pretty impressive and we are very proud of the students, faculty and staff,” Superintendent Chris Spencer said.
Coal City Early Childhood Center, Coal City Elementary School and Coal City Middle School were designated as commendable. The state data released on Oct. 30 shows that each of these schools were just points away from earning exemplary status.
According to ISBE, the summative designations describe how well a school is doing in meeting the needs of its students. There are several indicators that go into calculating a school’s level of performance.
Elementary and middle school academic indicators total 75 percent including growth in both English/language arts [ELA] and math. Proficiency in ELA, math, and science, and English learners progress to proficiency. The remaining 25 percent is based on school quality and student success indicators that consist of a climate survey and chronic absenteeism that accounts for 20 percent.
The Intermediate School’s overall summative designation score was 84.64. The state exemplary threshold for elementary and middle schools was 81.99. Exemplary schools are those that have no underperforming student groups at or below the “all students” group of the lowest performing 5 percent of schools. And, for high schools they must have a graduation rate of 67 percent.
Coal City High School’s designation was based on a score of 93.24. The exemplary threshold for ninth-12th grade schools was 93.02.
High school academic indicators total 75 percent including ELA, math and science proficiency, graduate rate, and English learner progress to proficiency. The remaining 25 percent are school quality and student success indicators that include chronic absenteeism, climate survey and ninth graders on track to graduate.
The distinct’s commendable schools all posted scores just below the exemplary threshold. The Early Childhood Center scored 79.30 (2.69 points from exemplary), Elementary School was 79.16 (2.83 points from exemplary) and the middle school came in at 79.05 (2.94 points from exemplary).
The district’s report card, as well as those for each academic building, can be viewed at www.illinoisreportcard.com/