Thursday November 3, 2016 Vol. 4, No. 35
The Weekly Post
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Some good news amidst sobering PARCC scores By BILL KNIGHT
Two out of three Illinois students aren’t ready for college or careers, according to results of the most recent Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), released by the Illinois State Board of Education on Monday. Some districts or classes improved, however, and educators say they’re using the data to improve future outcomes. (See a detailed breakdown on Page 10.) In the five school districts in The Weekly Post area, positives included: • Brimfield’s 3rd graders who met or exceeded expectations were 59 percent and 72.7 percent in English Language For The Weekly Post
Arts (ELA) and Math, respectively; • Elmwood’s High School ELA’s 58 percent meeting or exceeding expectations far surpassed other area students; • Farmington’s overall composite, district-wide, improved from 22 meeting or exceeding expectations last year to 30 percent this year; • Princeville’s ELA-I showed 50 percent meeting or exceeding expectations, better than other local schools testing for that; and • Williamsfield’s 81 percent score on 4th grade math was almost twice the score of the next-closest school. “While some students are achieving at remarkable levels, the majority of the generation of students entrusted to us are
unprepared for the world of work and for meaningful participation in our communities,” commented State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith. “If we hope to make Illinois a state where whole, healthy children are nested in whole, healthy systems, and where all citizens are socially and economically secure, we must make major changes to the way we fund our public schools and fundamentally shift our approach to education. “During the 2015-16 school year, our Report Card indicators mostly held steady – a testament to the commitment and resourcefulness of educators and administrators across the state,” Smith added. Statewide, the assessment showed stu-
FALLEN SOLDIER HONORED Farmington Honors Riney
Farmington lined its streets with American flags last week to honor Sgt. Douglas Riney. Riney is a Fairview native and son-in-law of Farmington residents Randal and Donna Eddy who died Oct. 19 of wounds suffered while serving with the U.S. Army in Kabul, Afghanistan. Farmington High School students and other community members helped plant the flags. Hundreds of motorcyclists and fire trucks accompanied Riney, whose funeral was Monday in Canton. Local fire departments also used ladder trucks to hold a huge flag as the Riney funeral procession went from Canton to Oak Ridge Cemetery in Farmington. Photos by Dave Giagnoni.
2016 PARCC results Percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations in school districts in The Weekly Post area and average ACT score. District Brimfield CUSD 309 Elmwood CUSD 322 Farmington CUSD 265 Princeville CUSD 326 Williamsfield CUSD 210
ELA 44.6 48.3 32.1 46.8 33.1
Math 43.2 35.4 28.4 49.7 27.8
ACT 20.3 20.4 19.4 20.5 22.2
SOURCE: Illinois State Board of Education
dents improved in attendance, math, dropout rate, participation in PARCC and spending in both instruction and operation. Performances declined or were unchanged in the four-year graduation rate, five-year graduation rate, freshmen on Continued on Page 10
Election day approaches Early voting underway For those who can’t wait until the Nov. 8 general election, early voting is underway through Nov. 7. While the presidential race – and accompanying theatrics – dominate the national scene, there are some competitive races in the area. The race in the 17th Congressional District pits incumbent Democrat Cheri Bustos against Republican challenger Patrick Harlan, and the 18th Congressional District will have incumbent Republican Darin LaHood face Democratic challenger Junius Rodriguez. In The Weekly Post area, ballot initiatives include a state constitutional amendment restricting transportation revenues to transportation expenses, and in Peoria County, three referendums. One referendum seeks approval for By Weekly Post Staff Reports
Continued on Page 2