Education is a road to a better life. A quality education allows children to maximize their potential, and providing that for every child is one of the most important undertakings of state government.
But research shows Illinois is failing to live up to the promise of high quality or efficient education, as Illinois schools consistently spend more than neighboring states only to produce worse test scores.
Between 2003 and 2019, Illinois per-pupil spending was the highest among neighboring states, despite worse outcomes. Illinois spent between 8% and 25% more per student, only to fall behind every neighboring state on reading assessments according to the Nation’s Report Card. Similarly, all but two states, Kentucky and Missouri, outscored Illinois on math assessments.
To boot, all Illinois’s neighbors also boasted higher graduation rates between 2003 and 2019.
When benchmarked against each state in the nation, Illinois ranks 15th in per student spending, but falls to 27th in both math and reading assessments since 2003.
Fifteen states spend less per student while producing better results on the NAEP in both math and reading.
Read more here.
Leave a Reply