Summary:
The East St. Louis School District 189 in Illinois is home to two middle schools: Mason/Clark Middle School and East St. Louis-Lincoln Middle School. Both schools have consistently performed poorly on standardized tests, with proficiency rates well below the state averages in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Additionally, the schools face significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates and extremely high rates of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, indicating that the student population faces substantial socioeconomic challenges.
According to the data, neither school can be considered a standout in the district. Mason/Clark Middle School ranked 1251 out of 1363 Illinois middle schools in 2023-2024, with a 0 out of 5 SchoolDigger star rating, while East St. Louis-Lincoln Middle School ranked 1210 out of 1363, with a 1 out of 5 SchoolDigger star rating. The schools' performance has remained stagnant or even declined over the past few years, suggesting a need for a comprehensive review of the district's educational strategies and implementation.
Despite the high per-student spending at both schools, the lack of improvement in academic achievement indicates that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution. The East St. Louis School District 189 should examine how resources are being allocated and utilized to support student learning, as well as investigate the underlying causes of the high chronic absenteeism rates and implement strategies to improve student attendance.
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