Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Illinois Report Card? The Illinois State Board of Education annually releases a report card that shows how each school, district, and the state is performing on a wide range of educational goals. The Illinois Report Card has two main components: the At-a-Glance Report that provides important information about each school or district in a one-page, printable format; and the online report card that delivers in-depth information with explanations of each indicator available.
How do I find my school or district? You can type any school or district name into the text box under Find Your School. When you see your school or district’s name, clicking it or the Search button will take you to that school’s or district’s Snapshot page. You can also type your address, city, or ZIP code into the by Address text box, choose the search range in miles, and then click the Search button. This will take you to a map that shows schools in the area. Click on any dot on the map or make a selection from the left side list to visit that school’s or district’s Snapshot page. You can also search for charter schools, regional offices, or other specialized, educational sites. Click on the words Select from List located next to the Search button. A menu is provided. Click on the type of site you want to locate. Then, select from the generated list of choices.
I’m on my school’s or district’s Snapshot page – how do I navigate from here? You will see a set of tabs below the name of your school or district, such as Academic Progress, School Environment, and Educators. Clicking on these tabs will take you to new pages, where you will see a list of topics on the left side of the page. Clicking on these measures will show your school’s or district’s information.
Where does the data come from? The Illinois State Board of Education collects most of the data in the Illinois Report Card from school districts through data systems such as the state's Student Information System, throughout the school year. Principals directly enter items listed under school Highlights on illinoisreportcard.com and can update these at any time.
What information will I find about each school? The Illinois Report Card provides comprehensive information about every public school and district in the state. The Snapshot page provides “Fast Facts” about your school/district, and a deeper dive into the facts and figures is available under the Academic Progress, School Environment, Students, Educators, and Highlights tabs. For a summary of information about a school or district, you can view or print the At-a-Glance report by clicking the button in the upper right area of the school/district Snapshot page.
Why can’t I find my child’s test scores? Individual test scores are confidential, by law, which protects your child’s privacy. Contact your child’s teacher for information about your child’s scores and academic progress..
I'm a school district. What are my requirements for posting the new report card? According to state law (105 ILCS 5/10-17a), school district must publish their school and district report cards by November 30 in the manner listed below.
Present the report cards at a regular school board meeting.
-
Make the report cards available to local media (a “newspaper of general circulation serving the district”).
-
If districts maintain a website they must post the At-a-Glance report cards on their website and send a written notice to parents notifying them of the report cards’ availability, giving them the website address (district website and/or illinoisreportcard.com) and a phone number parents can call to request a printed copy.
-
If districts do not maintain a website they must send a printed At-a-Glance report card home with each student.
Where should I send questions or comments about the school report card? Please send any questions or comments about website design, content, or data to reportcard@isbe.net.
Where should I report technical issues with the website? Please send any questions regarding website technical problems to iirc@niu.edu .