Wethersfield High School has received an “Exemplary” designation from the Illinois State Board of Education which released its 2023-2024 School Report Card last week. The designation places the high school among the top 10% of schools statewide.
“This achievement, shared by only a select group of schools, underscores the dedication of our district staff from Pre-K through 12, students, and families in building an environment that fosters success and growth for every student,” Supt. Dr. Andrew Brooks wrote in an announcement posted on the school’s Facebook page.
Both Wethersfield Elementary and Wethersfield Junior High School received “Commendable,” the second highest distinction recognized.
“A reflection of the district’s strength across all grade levels,” said Dr. Brooks.
After two years of remote learning, social distancing and face masks during the COVID-19 lockdown, students in Illinois’ schools fell behind. Grades and class advancement dropped off. Absenteeism went up and graduation rates went down.
Schools have been struggling to bridge the gap between where students were and where they should be ever since.
The report card shows that Wethersfield High School students made significant strides in science and math scores while decreasing chronic absenteeism and raising the graduation rate.
Dr. Brooks said Wethersfield’s recognition is grounded in a series of outstanding achievements, all of which outpaced state averages. He cited a graduation rate of 95%, significantly above the state’s average of 87.7%, which, itself, represents Illinois’ best in 14 years.
Dr. Brooks said one of the key challenges in education, especially following the pandemic, has been chronic absenteeism, kids just not showing up for school, some not coming back.
WHS saw notable improvements in student attendance in 2023-2024, dropping well below the state’s 26.3% average.
“This improvement reflects our focused efforts on engaging students and supporting their needs while at school,” Dr. Brooks said.
The report also revealed that 90% of all Wethersfield freshmen are on track and four times more likely to graduate in four years.
“The 90% rate exemplifies our focus on early academic success and engagement, positioning students for a strong high school experience,” Brooks said.
Another achievement highlighted by the superintendent was an impressive 80% proficiency on the science assessment, a result that surpasses state averages “and exemplifies the district’s strength in science education, a critical area for college and career readiness.”
The high school’s math and English Language Arts (ELA) scores on the SAT also outperformed state averages, “A testament to the quality of instruction and support provided by our teachers in these areas.”
Asked by The Kewanee Voice how well the high school has rebounded overall academically since the pandemic, Dr. Brooks said, “For science, we have been on an annual upward trend since 2021 and, as we said, 80% of our students were proficient last year compared to the state average of 53%. We actually achieved and exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2023 in ELA on the SAT. In 2024 we increased that growth further to where we were at 48.4% with the state at 31.1%.”
Dr. Brooks also said, for math on the SAT, Wethersfield students surpassed pre-pandemic levels slightly in 2022 and have dramatically increased over the last two years as well with math scoring at 45.1% with the state at 26.1%.
“We are extremely excited to see that the hard work of our teaching staff under the leadership of (junior/senior high school principal) Mr. (Tyler) Nichols has confirmed what we as a staff already knew, that Wethersfield is an exemplary district with a very dedicated staff of educators, hard working students, and a supportive school community.”
The Exemplary designation is based on eight indicators of academic performance, including English Language Arts Growth, Math Growth, English Language Arts Proficiency, Math Proficiency, Science Proficiency, English Learner Progress to Proficiency, Chronic Absenteeism, and Climate.
“Wethersfield looks forward to building on this success and creating even greater opportunities for all students,” Dr. Brooks said. “This milestone is a celebration of our collective effort and dedication…thank you to the entire Wethersfield community for your unwavering support.”
