Summary:
The city of Oblong, Illinois has two schools serving students from elementary through high school: Oblong Elementary School and Oblong High School, which are part of the Oblong CUSD 4 district. While Oblong Elementary School struggles with lower test scores and higher chronic absenteeism, Oblong High School stands out as the stronger performer, with a 3-star rating, higher graduation rates, and better science proficiency compared to state averages.
Oblong Elementary School has consistently low proficiency rates on the IAR tests, particularly in 3rd grade math (8.8% vs. 33.8% statewide) and 5th grade math (5.2% vs. 26.8% statewide). The school also has a higher chronic absenteeism rate of 18.4% compared to the state average. In contrast, Oblong High School has a 84.2% four-year graduation rate, which is higher than the state average, and its science proficiency on the ISA test is significantly above the state average at 66.7%.
Both Oblong schools have higher-than-average spending per student, yet their academic performance is generally below state averages, suggesting that simply spending more money may not be the sole solution to improving student outcomes. The district should closely examine its instructional practices, curriculum, and support systems to drive better results, particularly in addressing the high chronic absenteeism rates at both schools.
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