The facts are stark in Illinois:
Consider: While 92% of middle income white students graduate from high school statewide in Illinois, only 77% of Hispanic, Black and poor children earn a diploma.
Consider: Only 32% of Illinois students are currently proficient or advanced readers in 4th grade; only 37% in math.
Consider: Statewide, Illinois has a massive achievement gap. Only 15% of Black students are proficient readers and only 9% are proficient in math at 4th grade. For Hispanic students those numbers are 18% and 19%, and for low-income kids it’s 16% for both math and reading. The results get even worse as students get older.
Consider: Only 6% of Chicago Public School students graduate from college by the age of 25.
Consider: Chicago has one of the shortest school days & years of any urban center, hindering the ability for a rich and full curriculum placing our children farther behind.
An American without a high school diploma is virtually guaranteed a lifetime of low earnings and poor health and is at high risk for incarceration.
We believe our country’s failure to prepare kids for productive adulthood is a persistent civil rights issue that poses a grave economic challenge to American prosperity and productivity. One look at the academic success of our global competitors is proof positive.
Access to a quality public education is a basic human right – one we are dedicated to protecting. Stand for Children works across the state – from the classroom to the Capitol – to mobilize the citizens of Illinois around a common goal of improving the odds for American children.