A new set of numbers — and new questions — for local families

Parents in Barrington and Barrington Hills woke up to a mixed message in the latest wave of state testing results: more students appear to be meeting standards on paper, but nearly half are still not reading at grade level and a majority are not proficient in math. As reported by the Barrington Hills Observer, newly released assessment data show “just half of Illinois public school students could read at grade level and 2-in-5 could do math proficiently in 2025.” The Observer also noted, “That’s after the state lowered proficiency standards to make the numbers look better.”

The figures come from data released Oct. 30 by the Illinois State Board of Education, and were highlighted by the Illinois Policy Institute. The institute said the presentation of the 2025 results follows a change in how proficiency is determined, making it harder for parents to judge year-to-year progress in their schools or districts.

What the scores say

According to the Illinois State Board of Education, the 2025 release includes reading and math proficiency rates for third through eighth graders on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness and 11th graders on the ACT. The Illinois Policy Institute summarized the statewide results this way, even after the standards shift:

  • 53% of students were proficient in reading on the IAR for grades 3–8
  • 39% of students were proficient in math on the IAR for grades 3–8
  • 52% of students were proficient in reading on the ACT for 11th grade
  • 39% of students were proficient in math on the ACT for 11th grade

The Illinois Policy Institute said that means nearly half of students did not meet proficiency standards in reading on both the IAR and ACT, and more than half could not perform math proficiently, even after the state “manipulated the numbers.”

Standards lowered in 2025

The Illinois Policy Institute reported the state “artificially inflated the number of students meeting standards by lowering the scores needed to be considered ‘proficient’ in reading and math in 2025.” As the Barrington Hills Observer framed it, “That’s after the state lowered proficiency standards to make the numbers look better.”

While the shift changes how many students appear to meet expectations, the institute said it does not change the reality that many students labeled “proficient” may still be struggling. For parents, that nuance matters: a higher percentage alone may not reflect real gains in learning, especially if the bar used to define “proficient” is not the same as in prior years.

Why comparisons are harder for parents

The Illinois Policy Institute said that by changing the standards, parents are unable to compare proficiency rates in their schools or districts to previous school years. That limitation cuts to the heart of how many families in Barrington and Barrington Hills have long tracked progress — by lining up this year’s percentages against last year’s and asking whether support strategies are working.

Beyond the proficiency rates, the institute said the state’s data show enrollment continues to decline and absenteeism remains high. Those trends, taken together with shifting proficiency cut scores, complicate the picture for anyone trying to understand how students are doing and where interventions are most needed.

What it means for Barrington-area schools

For local families, the implications are immediate and practical. When standards move, a number on a report no longer means the same thing it did just a year earlier. The Illinois Policy Institute said that makes it harder for parents to judge whether their school’s trajectory is up, down or flat — a reality the Barrington-area community will feel as it looks to the latest dashboards and report cards for guidance.

This year’s statewide results, as relayed by the Illinois Policy Institute from data released by the Illinois State Board of Education, show a system still working to regain full footing. Even after the change in how proficiency is determined, 53% of students in grades 3–8 were proficient in reading on the IAR and 39% were proficient in math; among 11th graders, 52% were proficient in reading on the ACT and 39% in math. The institute’s bottom line is that many students reported as “proficient” may still be struggling — and that the standards change prevents apples-to-apples comparisons with prior years.

As families in Barrington and Barrington Hills sift through the numbers, two realities will likely guide the conversation: the need for clear, consistent measures that let parents see progress over time, and the continued urgency suggested by proficiency rates that remain stubbornly low in math and split in reading. Whatever comes next in state reporting, the stakes are local — in classrooms, at kitchen tables and in the expectations families bring to their neighborhood schools.