Beecher Schools Review Test Data; ELA Scores Excel While Math Strategies Adjusted

Beecher Board of Education Meeting | February 11, 2026

Article Summary: Beecher School District 200-U administrators presented the 2025 Illinois State Report Card data, highlighting significant proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA) across all grade levels while outlining new strategies to improve math scores. Principals noted that recent changes to state testing proficiency levels make direct year-over-year comparisons difficult.

Student Achievement Key Points:

• Junior High Success: Beecher Junior High earned a “Commendable” rating, missing the top “Exemplary” tier by less than one point.

• 8th Grade Performance: 87% of 8th-grade students tested proficient in ELA, significantly outpacing the state average of 53%.

• High School Gains: Principal Mike Meyer stated the current senior class produced the best collective SAT scores seen in his five years at the district.

• State Changes: The Illinois State Board of Education adjusted testing benchmarks, moving from five performance levels to four, which impacted how proficiency is calculated.

The Beecher Board of Education on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, received comprehensive reports on student performance following the release of state testing data.

Elementary Principal Nicole Black opened the presentation by explaining a shift in how the state measures success. The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) and Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) have moved from five performance levels to four. Black noted that the state adjusted cut scores to make science proficiency more difficult to attain while adjusting ELA and math scores.

“The test itself did not change… it was just that when they had those results, how they put those in the four, the three, the two, and the one is what changed,” Black said.

At the elementary level, ELA scores remained a bright spot. Third and fourth graders tested above the state average, with 32% of third graders scoring in the highest proficiency range. However, math scores presented a challenge, particularly in fifth grade, which fell below the state average.

Black attributed some of the ELA success to a district-wide focus on writing. To address math performance, the elementary school is utilizing “win time” for targeted intervention and spiraling skills to ensure retention.

Junior High Principal Dr. Michelle Kwasny reported that the school received a score of 81.27 on the state index, earning a “Commendable” designation. The score was just shy of the 81.99 needed for the “Exemplary” rating.

“We were less than 1% from the exemplary rating,” Kwasny told the Board. “We were just a sliver away.”

Junior high data showed strong cohort growth. Kwasny highlighted the current eighth-graders, who achieved an 87% proficiency rate in ELA. While math scores at the junior high remained below the state average in some areas, Kwasny noted that the gap is closing, and the 8th grade math scores met the state average exactly.

High School Principal Mike Meyer presented SAT data, praising the current senior class.

“This senior group, athletically and academically, is probably one of the best in the five years that I’ve been here,” Meyer said. “This group is deep, this group is solid.”

High school data showed 70% proficiency in ELA compared to a state average of 52.4%. Science proficiency stood at 60%, well above the state average of 44.6%. Meyer also highlighted strong Advanced Placement (AP) pass rates, including a 100% pass rate for AP Language and 94% for AP Literature.