New Trier Test Scores Stay Strong Despite Pandemic: Report Card

WINNETKA, IL — State education officials have released the first Illinois school report cards since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results show New Trier High School with the highest average teacher salaries and fewest administrators per student of any public high school on the North Shore.

New Trier's 2020-21 report card also show the number of students taking early college coursework has risen from less than 21 percent five years ago to more than 27 percent in 2021.

The school-level assessments follow last month's release of preliminary statewide data, which showed declining enrollment and academic proficiency.

According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education, 16.6 percent fewer students met grade-level English standards and 17.8 percent fewer students met math standards in 2021 as compared to 2019, the last time the school report cards were completed.

In New Trier Township High School District 203, the percentage of juniors who met or exceeded English language standards on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT, fell by only 2 percentage points since the final pre-pandemic report card to 80 percent.

When it came to math, 78 percent of New Trier High School 11th graders met the proficiency standards in 2021, 3 percentage points fewer than in 2019 but 1 point more than in 2018.

Carmen Ayala, state education superintendent, praised teachers and administrators across the state for their dedication to Illinois students in a statement announcing the new report cards.

“Assessment data gives local communities more insight into the impact of the pandemic on their students and what they need to recover," Ayala said.

“We are confident that the full return to safe, in-person learning and the significant state and federal investment in our schools will provide the conditions for all our students to thrive in the coming years," she added. "Every school district has had a unique experience during the pandemic, with different strengths and challenges."

Since 2017, the percentage of New Trier High School students who exceed standards in English language has declined from 53 percent to 46 percent on the SATs. In math, the percentage of students scoring in the highest category of proficiency went fell from 37 percent to 34 percent.

There are 3,971 students enrolled at New Trier, up by 28 since 2017.

During that period, the district has added only one additional teacher. New Trier's 345 teachers this year have an have an average salary of $124,834, the highest among public high schools on Chicago's North Shore, according to state report cards.

New Trier High School employ 49 administrators, who have an average salary of $136,190, according to the report card. The district has the fewest administrators per student of any North Shore public high school district.

For students who started high school in 2017, New Trier's four-year graduation rate was 97.7 percent, compared to a rate of 93.1 percent at Evanston Township High School, 94.5 percent at Deerfield and Highland Park high schools' district and 95.8 percent at Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South high schools' district.

According to its 2020-21 report card, New Trier Township High School District 203 is funded at 196 percent of the "adequacy target" calculated by the state education board.

The district spends more than $26,000 per student in operational expenses, which is nearly twice the state average of $14,747 but less than two other North Shore districts, according to the report cards.

The federal government has allocated more than $7 billion to Illinois schools this year to address the academic and emotional effects of the pandemic on the state's students.

Related: $4 Million From $1.9 Trillion Bill Set for New Trier Area Schools

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the report card data showed some improvements in college and career preparation coursework but also indicated the "tremendous challenges" presented by the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement last month, the governor said his administration has been working with school administrators to make sure the money is distributed properly to address learning disruptions.

“As we move forward, helping our children process this experience and restoring their learning must sit at the heart of every action," Pritzker said. "Together, with our incredible educators at the forefront, we are revitalizing our classrooms, student by student, for the betterment of all of Illinois."

Complete Illinois Report Cards: New Trier Township High School District 203 — Northfield Campus — Winnetka Campus

• Like the Winnetka-Glencoe Patch or Wilmette-Kenilworth Patch on Facebook
• Make a Neighbor Post on the Winnetka-Glencoe Patch or Wilmette-Kenilworth Patch
• Check out the Events Calendar for what's going on around Glencoe, Northfield and Winnetka
• Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest Northfield, Winnetka and Glencoe or Wilmette news
• Patch Mobile: Get the app for iPhone and Android