Reverse Falling LTHS Test Scores: Board Members

LA GRANGE, IL – Lyons Township High School's SAT scores have been dropping for years – a trend that concerns school board members.

The decrease is similar to other wealthy schools in the area. At a recent meeting, Elmhurst school officials breezed past the bad news.

But Lyons Township High School officials spoke directly about the issue at this week's board meeting. They laid out the steps they would take to prepare students for the SAT.

Last school year, 53 percent of Lyons Township's 11th graders met math standards on the SAT. That's up from 51 percent in 2021, but down from 59 percent in 2018 and 65 percent in 2017. The school remains well above the statewide average, but that's to be expected, given the relatively low number of low-income students.

Board member Alison Kelly focused on the math SAT numbers. She said she did not want to "harp" on the issue or be "super negative," given the growth and achievement in other areas.

At the same time, she said she did not like that Lyons Township was rated "strong" with its math performance.

"Statistically, we can't be in a strong position there," Kelly said. "I don't feel we're strong."

Scott Eggerding, director of curriculum, said the school was comparatively strong to schools with similar demographics. But he said the administration knows it needs to increase students' performance.

"We look at these numbers, and we're not saying that it's great stuff or we're good," he said. "We're saying, 'How do we move more math students out of that bottom?'"

Another board member, Dawn Aubert, said she had the same reaction as Kelly. She called the recent trend unacceptable.

"Whether it's the (Illinois) metric or the College Board metric, we're still low. And the biggest concern for me is our decline over the years is outpacing the decline in the state," Aubert said. "That absolutely has to be turned around."

She said she liked that school officials presented a plan to reverse the trend.

Eggerding said he was concerned that fewer colleges were requiring standardized tests such as the SAT for admission. That means students may take such exams less seriously.

Hinsdale High School District 86 has expressed a similar concern.