Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner

It should be considered one of Illinois’ most egregious failures. School officials announced last week that in 2024 the state graduated high school students at a record 88 percent rate, even though the same data release showed that nearly 70% of graduating students can’t read or do math proficiently.

Take black students statewide. 81% of them graduated in 2024 though just 11% of those graduates were proficient in reading on the SAT as juniors the year before. Just 7% of the graduates were proficient in math. The student outcome data comes straight from the Illinois Report Card.

It’s not much better for Hispanics – an 85% graduation rate, with only 18% of them able to read and 14% able to do math proficiently on the SAT.

Overall, 88% of students statewide graduated despite SAT proficiency rates of just 32% and 27% in reading and math, respectively. State SAT results remained virtually unchanged between 2023 and 2024. 

What that disparity shows is just how willing the educational establishment is to cover up its failures.

The data clearly indicate that being able to read is not a requirement for graduation at (Madison) East, especially if you are black or Hispanic”

My Question to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Teacher Mulligans and our Disastrous Reading Results

2017: West High Reading Interventionist Teacher’s Remarks to the School Board on Madison’s Disastrous Reading Results 

Madison’s taxpayer supported K-12 school district, despite spending far more than most, has long tolerated disastrous reading results.

“An emphasis on adult employment”

Wisconsin Public Policy Forum Madison School District Report[PDF]

WEAC: $1.57 million for Four Wisconsin Senators

Friday Afternoon Veto: Governor Evers Rejects AB446/SB454; an effort to address our long term, disastrous reading results

Booked, but can’t read (Madison): functional literacy, National citizenship and the new face of Dred Scott in the age of mass incarceration.

When A Stands for Average: Students at the UW-Madison School of Education Receive Sky-High Grades. How Smart is That?