District 114 Ranks High in Will County for Math and Reading Growth

Manhattan School District 114 Meeting | Dec. 10, 2025

Article Summary:
Manhattan School District 114 administrators presented Spring 2025 assessment data showing the district outperforming state averages and ranking highly among Will County districts in both English Language Arts (ELA) and math. Based on these scores, three district schools received “Exemplary” designations on the Illinois State Report Card.

Assessment Data Key Points:

• Top Tier Rankings: The district ranked 5th in Will County for ELA proficiency and 9th for math proficiency out of 26 school districts.

• Growth Percentiles: Student growth was strong, ranking in the 59th percentile for ELA (6th in the county) and the 55th percentile for math.

• School Designations: Wilson Creek, Anna McDonald, and Manhattan Intermediate School received “Exemplary” ratings, placing them in the top 10% of schools statewide.

• State Comparisons: Proficiency rates across all grade levels consistently trended well above Illinois state averages.

The Manhattan School District 114 Board of Education on Tuesday, December 10, 2025, received a detailed report on student performance, revealing that local students are testing well above state averages.

Sarah Donovan, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, presented the Spring 2025 Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) scores. The data indicated that Manhattan 114 is performing competitively against its neighbors, ranking 5th out of 26 Will County districts in English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency and 9th in math proficiency.

“We’re doing good things,” Donovan said. “Historically, we were on a five-level system in Illinois. So, that was a shift in August that the state moved to have all of the assessments be four levels.”

Approximately 76% of district students scored at or above proficiency in ELA. In math, just above 75% of students achieved proficiency. Donovan highlighted that the district’s trend lines consistently mirror the state’s trends but sit significantly higher on the proficiency scale.

Beyond raw scores, the district emphasized student growth—a metric comparing how much students improved year-over-year compared to academic peers. The district fell into the 59th percentile for ELA growth and the 55th percentile for math growth. Donovan noted that anything between 40 and 60 percent is considered average, while scores above 60 are exemplary, placing the district in the “high average” growth category.

The presentation also covered the official Illinois State Report Card designations. Wilson Creek Elementary, Anna McDonald Elementary, and Manhattan Intermediate School all achieved “Exemplary” status. This designation is reserved for schools performing in the top 10% statewide. Manhattan Junior High School received a “Commendable” designation.

“The summative designation truly is a collective effort,” Donovan told the board, crediting staff, parents, and the community.

The report also touched on chronic absenteeism. While it remains a factor in school ratings, administrators noted that recent efforts, along with adjusted school start times, appear to be helping improve attendance rates.