The Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools system is the recipient of the greatest number of U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Awards of any school system. The Catholic Schools are accredited by AdvancED and the state of Illinois. There are 183 Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Elementary Schools
2015/2016 School Year
Student and Teacher Attendance Rates (2015/2016 School Year)
Aspire Test Scores (Spring 2016)
In April 2016, elementary schools across the Archdiocese of Chicago administered the ACT Aspire summative test for the first time to all students in grades 3-8. The ACT Aspire test assesses students’ academic proficiency in five academic areas: English, Reading, Math, Science and Writing. The test is aligned to the rigorous curriculum standards that inform classroom instruction in all classrooms across the Archdiocese.
The ACT Aspire test evaluates student understanding of concepts and asks students to demonstrate their proficiency with grade-level skills. Additionally, ACT Aspire engages all students in a written response to a grade-appropriate prompt. Assessment of writing has high value for college bound students. The results of the test are outlined in the below graphs.
Student Teacher Attendance Rates (2014/2015 School Year)
TerraNova Results (Spring 2015)
% of students or above national mean
Aspire Test Scores, Grade 8 (Fall 2014)
During the 2014/2015 school year, the Archdiocese began administrating the Aspire test, a standardized assessment that is aligned with national and college readiness standards. The Aspire test is a product produced by ACT, the most widely administered college entrance exam in Illinois. The test is aligned to more rigorous curriculum standards that require students to respond to more complex questions. Thus, some students’ scores on the Aspire test may not be consistent with their previous performance on the TerraNova. This is to be expected and not a cause for concern. Over the last several years the Archdiocese schools have been modifying classroom instruction to engage students in more rigorous intellectual work. Aspire test results will be used to provide insights into the effectiveness of instruction and student achievement. The data below represents 5,300 students.
