Central Test Scores Drop Slightly; South Rises

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale Central High School saw slight declines in the percentages of students meeting state standards on the SAT.

Meanwhile, Hinsdale South experienced increases.

On Wednesday morning, the state released test scores for schools across the state.

Central is based in one of the wealthiest towns in the United States, so its scores remain among the highest in the state.

Last school year, 72 percent of Central's juniors met or exceeded standards on the English language arts portion of the SAT, down from 76 percent a year earlier. In 2017 and 2018, the school was at 79 percent.

For math, 68 percent met benchmarks, down from 70 percent the year before. The 68 percent was the lowest in the seven years that the state had mandated the test.

For Hinsdale South, 46.7 percent of juniors met English language arts standards last school year, a slight increase from the previous year's 46.4 percent. In math, 44.1 percent of students made the mark last school year, up from 43.5 percent.

Statewide, juniors were at 31 percent and 26 percent in English language arts and math, respectively.

In a news release on test scores Wednesday, Elmhurst School District 205 ignored its downward trend in SAT scores.

Meanwhile, Michael Lach, Hinsdale High School District 86's superintendent, confronted declining scores in a statement to the public. He reported the news, saying the district would explore the root causes of the change.

"(We) remain convinced that focusing on curriculum and instruction is a critical component of our path forward," Lach said.