Illinois
Illinois school Superintendent Tony Sanders discusses strategy to boost math scores | Capitol News Illinois
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Board of Education recently released the 2024 School Report Card, showing a record-high proficiency rate for students in grades 3-8 in English language arts while math scores still have not fully recovered from the low point they hit during the pandemic.
In response, ISBE has announced plans to develop a comprehensive, statewide strategy for boosting math skills across the board.
In a podcast interview recorded Wednesday, Nov. 6, State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders spoke with Capitol News Illinois about the report card and the need to address the sagging math scores.
Following is an edited transcript of that interview. Listen to the full interview on this week’s edition of Capitol Cast. Listen below or subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
CNI: Before we get to this math plan, what is this state report card that comes out every year. Why do we do this?
Sanders: So the state report card really is a result of federal requirements. All the way back to the early 2000s, school districts had to start under – then the law was called No Child Left Behind – had to start reporting annually, school-by-school, on the progress being made by students. Individual states developed their own accountability systems, so they all look different. But it was a way to inform parents, taxpayers and others on how students were doing across the state and within your local community.
CNI: You use the words “accountability report.” In what way do these reports hold schools and districts and state departments like yours accountable?
Sanders: The accountability system focuses on schools and districts that are underperforming. So the school districts that really are struggling the most in student growth and student attainment are the ones that typically are identified for supports. And with that comes additional monetary support. So they get more money to do additional strategies to improve student outcomes at those schools.
Within Illinois, parents can expect to see their schools currently labeled in one of four areas. They’re either going to be labeled as “exemplary,” meaning they’re in the top 10% of the state; “commendable,” which is about 72% of our schools; or they’re going to be “comprehensive” or “targeted status.” Those are the schools that are the lowest performing schools in the state academically.
CNI: And roughly how many of those do we have, and are they located in particular areas?
Sanders: So it is limited to the to 5% of the schools. There’s about 400 schools that are currently on that list, and they’re all over the place. They’re in large urban systems. They’re in small, rural communities. So you’ll find schools being labeled as “targeted” or “comprehensive” everywhere in the state.
CNI: Getting back to the math scores, a lot of people will just say in casual conversation, “You know, math was never really my subject. I was never good at math. I can’t balance my own checkbook.” And the test scores have always borne that out. The achievement scores are rarely as high in math as in other subjects. Why is that? Is that a cultural thing for Americans? Are we just not a math-prone society?
Sanders: No. If you look back over the history of standardized tests, all the way the NAEP assessment (the National Assessment of Educational Progress), which is given across the nation, the scores have not changed significantly all the way back to the 1950s.
I try to think back to the time when Sputnik went up, and suddenly there was this urgency to improve math and science across the nation. And despite all those efforts back in the 50s and 60s, we still haven’t seen a lot of significant gains in math over decades of time.
CNI: What goes into developing a plan like this? The Literacy Plan took a long time.
Sanders: Yeah, it took a couple of years. That one was spurred on, really, by the General Assembly. They saw our English language arts results and prompted us. Nationwide, there’s been a conversation about the “science of reading” and shifting practice of literacy instruction. But we’ve not yet had that national conversation about math. So we intend to follow, again, the same type of process we did before: pulling together experts from across the state and the nation to look at what are best practices currently in terms of math instruction, pulling in curriculum experts, pulling in experts in English language learning.
CNI: You did a media briefing about the report card itself, and kind of walking us through step by step. And one of the things you said when it came to math was that Illinois adopted new learning standards for math back in 2010. It’s been almost 15 years. And you also added that there’s never been a concerted statewide effort to provide teachers and educators with training in how to implement these standards. And it struck me that a child who started kindergarten in 2010 has now already graduated high school, but we still haven’t implemented a training program for teachers to deal with these new standards. Was that a failure on the state’s part?
Sanders: Every state adopted new standards for math and English language arts around the same time, around 2010.
CNI: Those were the Common Core Standards.
Sanders: The Common Core Standards were implemented. And then they became the Illinois Learning Standards. When that shift happened, teachers, principals and local school districts all began taking a harder look at their curriculum and their practices in both English language arts and math.
The challenge with math, from a local district perspective and a teacher perspective, is that there’s too many standards within a student’s one-year span of time for a teacher to be able to hit every single standard and ensure every child is competent in that standard.
If you’re taking a look at them grade-by-grade, it’s a lot that we’re asking our teachers to cover. And so I think part of our work – and I would never call it a failure – but I think part of our work is really being very explicit about which are the power standards. Which are the ones that we need to ensure students must master by a particular grade level in order to progress to the next grade level? And I think that’s going to be part of the work that we’ll have to do as we roll out this math plan.
CNI: Is there anything else in the report card that you think should be highlighted?
Sanders: We have so much to be proud of in this year’s report card. Our students need to be very proud of the work they did. Our teachers need to stand up and take a bow for working so hard, not only during the pandemic, but after the pandemic, to fully prepare our kids.
We’ve seen historic rates of proficiency in English language arts, 40.9% of our kids being proficient in English language arts, which is an all-time high for the state of Illinois. That’s something to celebrate. The highest ever known graduation rate on record. That is something to celebrate. Lowering our chronic absenteeism, so more students are showing up on a daily basis to school. That’s a win.
So much of this year’s report card is positive news. Even the math scores are an improvement. They’re just not moving as fast as our English language arts scores. So, by and large, Illinois has a lot to be proud of in this report card. It demonstrates a lot of hard work on the part of our teachers and students over this last academic year.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Illinois
Illinois Wesleyan to Launch First-of-its-Kind Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Quantum Science and Engineering Program
Fisher Center for Interdisciplinary Quantum Science & Engineering positions Illinois
as a leader in next generation quantum education
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University today announced the creation of the Fisher Center for
Interdisciplinary Quantum Science & Engineering, a first-of-its-kind undergraduate
program that brings together multiple areas of study to better prepare students for
careers in this emerging field.
The Fisher Quantum Center will make Illinois Wesleyan the first undergraduate liberal
arts university in the United States to offer an interdisciplinary quantum program,
positioning both the University and the state as leaders in the quantum space.
The Fisher Quantum Center is supported by a founding gift from Ann ‘82 and Alan Fisher,
providing the resources to establish the center and launch programming. Ann is a graduate
of Illinois Wesleyan University and serves on the university’s Board of Trustees.
The Fisher Quantum Center is designed to grow in phases and will expand its curriculum,
facilities, and partnerships over time.
“The Fisher Quantum Center represents a defining step forward as the first undergraduate
interdisciplinary quantum program. Quantum is reshaping industries and the way we
solve complex problems, and this complexity is an ideal fit with Illinois Wesleyan’s
cross-curricular approach to undergraduate education. We are especially grateful to
Ann and Alan Fisher for their generous gift that is making this distinctive program
possible,” said Illinois Wesleyan University President Sheahon J. Zenger.
What is Quantum?
Quantum science studies how matter and energy behave at the smallest scale, where
the differences can be used to create new, more powerful technologies. Because of
this, quantum has a wide variety of real-world applications and is poised to transform
everyday lives and revolutionize industries ranging from computing and cybersecurity
to healthcare, finance, and agriculture.
Most quantum programs are primarily offered at the graduate level and focus on a single
area of study. The Fisher Quantum Center takes a fundamentally different approach
by focusing exclusively on undergraduate education and bringing together physics,
chemistry, computer science, mathematics, biology, business, philosophy, and engineering
into one holistic curriculum. Instead of separating these fields and narrowing the
focus, it connects them to better reflect the broad applications of quantum. This
first-of-its-kind approach prepares students not only with the technical skills for
these emerging careers, but with an understanding of the economic, ethical, environmental,
and societal implications of quantum technologies.
and instrumental performance (euphonium). He has also conducted research on the ethical
implications of quantum computing.
Students will be able to engage with quantum in multiple ways, including through individual
courses, certificates, concentrations, hands-on experiments, projects, faculty-mentored
research, and internships. The Fisher Quantum Center is designed to be flexible, inclusive,
and accessible to undergraduate students from all areas of study to create a gateway
into quantum for students who might not otherwise encounter the field. It will also
serve as hub for visiting scholars, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty to collaborate
on strengthening undergraduate quantum laboratories and infrastructure.
“We are proud to support the creation of the Fisher Quantum Center and the unique
opportunity it creates for students coming to Illinois Wesleyan. The Fisher Quantum
Center will open the door for students from many different backgrounds to engage with
quantum in a way that is accessible and better prepares them for future careers. We
are excited to see how this program grows and the impact it will have on Illinois
Wesleyan students, the university, and the broader community,” said Ann and Alan Fisher.
The first courses through the Fisher Quantum Center will be available in Spring 2027,
alongside enhanced quantum lab space, with programming expanding throughout the year.
Beyond the classroom, the Fisher Quantum Center will support outreach initiatives
to engage high school teachers and students to strengthen pathways into quantum and
STEM fields. Beginning in Summer 2026, Illinois Wesleyan will host a fully funded
Quantum Day Camp for high school STEM teachers and counselors from surrounding counties,
with a residential Quantum Camp for high school students anticipated for Summer 2027.
“The Fisher Quantum Center represents a first-of-its-kind program that will create
new opportunities for students to engage with quantum across disciplines while preparing
them for the high-quality jobs of the future. Quantum technology is already shaping
the future of the global economy, and Illinois is positioning itself as a global leader.
To compete, we need to continue building a strong workforce pipeline, and Illinois
Wesleyan is playing a critical role by giving students the skills and training needed
to fill these emerging jobs and help keep Illinois at the forefront of innovation,”
said Gov. JB Pritzker.
At a time when Illinois is emerging as a national hub for quantum innovation, the
Fisher Quantum Center will play a critical role in developing the next generation
of talent, expanding awareness of quantum careers and opportunities, and ensuring
the state remains competitive in this rapidly evolving field.
“Developing the next generation of talent is essential to maintaining Illinois’ momentum
in quantum,” said Illinois Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Christy George. “Illinois Wesleyan’s new program creates opportunities for students in high demand
fields while helping build the workforce pipeline Illinois industries need. The Fisher
Center reflects the forward-thinking approach that has helped position Illinois as
a growing hub for quantum innovation and emerging technologies.”
For more information about the Fisher Quantum Center, visit www.iwu.edu/fisher-quantum-center.
Illinois Senate Democrats are trying to impose limits on artificial intelligence, or AI, in the final weeks of the legislative session.
The proposed package of eight different bills would target specific areas impacted by the emerging technology, including its effects on mental health and the usage of AI in schools.
State Sen. Bill Cunningham said because Congress has not put much regulation around AI, state lawmakers feel they have to step into the void.
“Artificial intelligence, or AI, can be a powerful tool for good, but currently there are minimal guardrails in place. It’s like the wild, wild west. Illinois needs to create a roadmap for responsible innovation to prevent catastrophic risks. And that is why we are all here today,” said State Sen. Mary Edly-Allen.
Edly-Allen’s proposal, which passed out of committee Wednesday and now heads to the full Senate, aims to increase transparency from big AI companies like ChatGPT and Claude. It would require large companies to make annual reports explaining what they are doing to prevent what lawmakers call “catastrophic risks.”
If a company learns about a critical safety incident, it has to report it within 72 hours, or 24 hours if the incident poses a serious risk of harm or death.
Another bill, led by Sen. Laura Ellman, aims to address the growing number of young people turning to AI during a mental health crisis, specifically people who confide in a chatbot about their suicidal thoughts. AI companies would have to implement methods to detect self harm and refer the user to a resource, such as the suicide hotline.
Other bills try to crack down on AI being used to fix rent prices, curb someone’s data from being used for targeted ads or sold to third parties, ban teachers from using AI to grade a student’s work and cut down on bots scooping up tickets to concerts and sports.
The current legislative session is set to end on May 31, with lawmakers working to pass a host of bills before that date arrives.
IKEA announces new locations opening for 2026
IKEA revealed plans to open 10 new stores in various U.S. cities by 2026 as part of its expansion strategy.
The Chicago metro area is getting its first Dutch Bros cafe this week, with additional Illinois locations set to open later this year.
The West Coast coffee chain announced the openings in a press release Wednesday, May 13, adding details about available freebies.
Dutch Bros coming to Melrose Park
Dutch Bros will be making its Chicago suburbs debut in Melrose Park, with doors set to open Thursday, May 14, at 1931 N. Mannheim Road.
The cafe will operate from 5 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Melrose Park customers will be able to snag a free keychain with any drink purchase on opening day, while supplies last, according to the chain.
“Opening in the Chicago area has always been a dream for us at Dutch Bros, and Melrose Park is just the beginning,” Dutch Bros Local Market Lead Allie Lahti said in the release.
Where else is Dutch Bros opening locations in Illinois?
The chain also announced plans to open cafes in Rockford, New Lenox and Buffalo Grove, with locations slated to open this summer. The chain lists the Rockford location as “coming soon” to 7103 E. State St. on its website.
Meanwhile, job listings for “Broistas” at 550 W. Maple St. in New Lenox and 80 McHenry Road in Buffalo Grove are available for applicants on the site.
But that’s not all.
A spokesperson for the Village of Oak Park told NBC News Chicago the chain “is also in the process of opening a location in Oak Park” at 316 Madison St.
The village approved plans for the new location in October 2025, and the chain told NBC the cafe is still “in the very early stages.”
Peoria City Councilman Alex Carmona told the Journal Star in April that a new Dutch Bros location will be built at the busy intersection of University Street and War Memorial Drive.
Construction is set to kick off in May at 3624 N. University St., with the location slated to open in the fall.
The Peoria Journal Star reached out to Dutch Bros about the upcoming Illinois locations and will update this story accordingly if a response is provided.
List of Dutch Bros locations in Illinois
The coffee chain has five existing locations in the following Illinois cities:
CONTRIBUTING: JJ Bullock, Peoria Journal Star
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