27% of Illinois schools now hold Exemplary status under new rating system

The number of public schools in Illinois earning the state's highest performance rating increased by 17% following a change in the state's accountability framework.

Under the new system released by the Illinois State Board of Education, 27% of public schools are designated as Exemplary, the top of five performance levels. Previously, only the top 10% of schools could receive that label. The state reported that the old method left nearly three-quarters of schools in the Commendable category. With the introduction of a new Approaching Exemplary tier, Commendable schools now make up just over a quarter of the total.

Illinois State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders said the previous system could demote schools that showed significant improvement if they were outperformed by others. This structural shift is visible in Chicago Public Schools, where 9% of schools are now rated Exemplary, up from 2% in 2025. However, the share of CPS schools in the two lowest categories also increased from approximately 14% in the prior year. CPS Deputy Chief Education Officer Annise Lewis noted that the district no longer uses its internal letter or number grading system, which faced union criticism for penalizing high-need schools.

Statewide test scores show an increase in the percentage of students considered proficient in core subjects. Approximately 56% of students are now proficient in English language arts, up from 53%. Math proficiency reached almost 40%, up from 38.5%. These gains follow a 2025 decision by the state board to lower the cut scores for the Illinois Assessment of Readiness. The board cited the need to align scores with student abilities and reduce what was considered one of the highest passing thresholds in the nation. Chicago Public Schools reported a 3 percentage point increase in ELA proficiency to nearly 46%. Jane Fleming, the district's Director of Literacy, attributed the rise to standards-aligned and culturally responsive initiatives.

Graduation rates also rose in both the state and the city. Illinois recorded a four-year graduation rate of nearly 89%, a slight increase from the previous year. Chicago Public Schools saw its graduation rate climb to more than 83% in 2026, up from 82.5% in 2025. This marks the second consecutive year of positive movement for the district. Robin Steans, president of the education advocacy group Advance Illinois, described the progress on multiple fronts as good news.

Teacher workforce data shows expansion and improved retention, though attendance remains a challenge. The number of teachers in Illinois is now nearly 144,000. The teacher retention rate exceeded 90% for the first time in over a decade. However, teacher attendance has not fully recovered from pandemic-era losses. In 2019, 73% of teachers missed fewer than 10 days of school. This year, that figure dropped to about 65%.

Chronic absenteeism among students declined for the fourth consecutive year, though levels remain higher than in 2019. The state defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% of school days. Outside of Chicago, 23% of students were chronically absent this year. In Chicago Public Schools, the rate fell by about 6 percentage points from its peak of nearly 45% in 2022. Racial disparities persist within the district, with 44% of Black students identified as chronically absent compared to 23% of white students. CPS Chief of College and Career Success Megan Hougard stated that ensuring student attendance is a responsibility shared by all district staff, not just one department.

The next step in the state's accountability process involves districts reviewing these designations to plan for the coming academic year. Schools in the lowest categories will receive additional support based on the state's new core and elevating indicators.