Based on a comprehensive analysis of data, the Quality Counts report card answers a key question: Where does my state rank for educational opportunities and performance?
States are graded and ranked in three categories: Chance for Success (January), School Finance (June), and K-12 Achievement (September). A state’s overall grade, published in September, is the average of its scores on the three separate indices tracked for the report card.
Chance for Success: Gauging Educational Opportunities
The EdWeek Research Center developed the Chance-for-Success Index to better understand the role that education plays in promoting positive outcomes across an individual’s lifetime. Based on an original state-by-state analysis, this index combines information from 13 indicators that span a person’s life from cradle to career. Those indicators fall into three sub-sections: early foundations, school years, and adult outcomes.
The index evaluates each state using a range of measuring sticks, including:
- How educated are parents?
- What share of 3- and 4-year-olds are enrolled in preschool?
- Are K-12 students proficient in reading and math?
- What’s the high school graduation rate?
- What percentage of adults have steady employment?
Diving into the findings, Illinois earns a B-minus in the Chance-for-Success category and ranks 19th. The average state earns a B-minus.
Early Foundations: Are Kids Getting Off to a Good Start?
For early foundations, which examines factors that help children get off to a good start, Illinois earns a B and ranks 28th. The average state posts a B.
School Years: How Are Students Faring in School?
Illinois receives a B-minus for the school years, a sub-category focusing on metrics related to pre-K enrollment through postsecondary participation. It finishes 14th in the nation in this area. By comparison, the nation as a whole earns a C-plus.
Adult Outcomes: Are Adults Finding Opportunities for Success?
In the area of adult outcomes, based on postsecondary educational attainment and workforce indicators, Illinois’s grade is a B-minus. It ranks 14th in the nation. The national average is a C-plus.
School Finance: Grading the States on Spending and Equity
This year, Illinois finishes 12th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, with an overall score of 82.8 out of 100 points and a grade of B. The nation as a whole posts a grade of C.
The school finance analysis examines two critical aspects of school spending. Of the eight indicators in this category, four assess school spending patterns, while the remaining metrics gauge equity in the distribution of funding across the districts within each state.
Spending: How Much Are States Devoting to Education?
The spending metrics shed light on major questions, such as:
- What does the state spend per-pupil when adjusted for regional cost differences?
- What percent of students are in districts with per-pupil spending at or above the U.S. average?
- What share of total taxable resources are spent on education?
Across the spending indicators, Illinois finishes with a B compared with a national average of D. Illinois ranks 11th in the nation in this area.
Equity: How Are Funds Distributed Across Districts?
For each state, topics covered by the equity analysis include:
- To what degree does funding for property-poor districts differ from that of their wealthier counterparts?
- How different are the spending levels of the highest- and lowest-spending districts?
On the equity measures, Illinois receives a B-minus, which places it 47th in the national rankings. The nation as a whole earns a B-plus.
