Du Quoin, IL — The 2026 Illinois Report Card highlights continued progress across Du Quoin Community Unit School District #300, including improvements in student achievement, academic growth, graduation rates, attendance, and opportunities for advanced learning. The report card reflects student outcomes from the 2025–2026 school year and introduces a new Profiles of Performance framework to recognize school performance and support continued improvement.
“We have a lot to celebrate in this year's results, particularly the proficiency we're seeing in ELA and growth in math, the increase in our graduation rate, and the opportunities we're providing students to challenge themselves through advanced coursework. Seeing students make progress from one year to the next is encouraging and reflects the hard work happening across our district. We know there is still work to do, but we'll continue using these results to guide our efforts and support the success of every student,” said Superintendent Diana Rea.
Highlights from the 2026 Illinois Report Card
- Academic Growth: Student growth exceeded state expectations in ELA at Du Quoin Middle School.
- ELA Proficiency Gains: Du Quoin Elementary School increased ELA proficiency by 8.5 percentage points from 2025 to 2026. At Du Quoin Middle School, proficiency increased by 19 percentage points in sixth grade, 15 percentage points in seventh grade, and 9 percentage points in eighth grade in analysis of year to year proficiency rate for the same cohort of students. Middle school students demonstrated the strongest proficiency rates, with 69% of seventh graders, and 85% of eighth graders meeting proficiency expectations.
- Progress for Students with Disabilities: At Du Quoin Middle School, ELA proficiency among students with disabilities increased from 14.1% in 2025 to 27.4% in 2026. At Du Quoin Elementary School, fourth-grade students with disabilities showed improvement in mathematics growth, with their growth percentile increasing from 35.7 in 2025 to 48.6 in 2026. These results reflect the focused school improvement work taking place in both buildings and the dedication of staff to strengthening instruction, addressing individual student needs, and improving outcomes for all students.
- Graduation Rate: The district's graduation rate increased from 87% in 2024 to 94% in 2026, a seven-percentage-point increase.
- Advanced Learning Opportunities: Student participation in dual credit courses increased by 10%, while participation in advanced coursework increased by 9% from 2025 to 2026. 83% of students taking AP courses earned eligibility to earn college credit, an increase of 12% from 2025.
- ACT: ACT proficiency increased by 7 percentage points from 2025 to 2026 in English and the average Math ACT score increasing.
- School Profiles of Performance: Du Quoin High School received an Approaching Exemplary Profile of Performance, while Du Quoin Elementary School and Du Quoin Middle School each received a Commendable Profile of Performance.
- Student Attendance: Chronic absenteeism decreased from 29.9% in 2024 to 24.2% in 2025 and 23.9% in 2026, representing a six-percentage-point reduction over the three-year period. Du Quoin Elementary School also received an Approaching Exemplary designation in the Student Attendance category of the 2026 Illinois Report Card, recognizing progress in this important area.
New Profiles of Performance Recognize School Progress
The 2026 Illinois Report Card introduces the Profiles of Performance, a new framework designed to provide a clearer picture of school performance and help schools identify strengths and opportunities for continued growth. Schools receive one of five profiles: Exemplary, Approaching Exemplary, Commendable, Developing, or Comprehensive.
Du Quoin High School earned an Approaching Exemplary profile, while Du Quoin Elementary School and Du Quoin Middle School earned Commendable profiles. We are especially proud of Du Quoin High School's Approaching Exemplary designation, which reflects the continued commitment of its faculty, staff, and students to academic achievement, growth, and preparing students for success beyond graduation. This recognition is a testament to the work taking place throughout the building and the high expectations our team continues to set for our students.
The Commendable designations are especially meaningful given the improvement work taking place in both the elementary and middle school. Du Quoin Middle School was identified for targeted school improvement in 2023, followed by Du Quoin Elementary School in 2025. The progress reflected in this year's results demonstrates the commitment of both school teams to using data, strengthening instruction, and improving outcomes for students.
The elementary school's Approaching Exemplary designation in Student Attendance is another important recognition of the work taking place to improve attendance and keep students connected to learning.
Continued Focus on Student Attendance
Improving student attendance has been a district priority for the past three years, and the latest Illinois Report Card data shows encouraging progress. Du Quoin CUSD #300's chronic absenteeism rate has declined from 29.9% in 2024 to 24.2% in 2025 and 23.9% in 2026. This represents a six-percentage-point reduction over the three-year period.
We are encouraged to see the results of our continued efforts to address attendance barriers, strengthen connections with families, and help students remain engaged in school. While the improvement is worth celebrating, we recognize that there is still work to do. Regular attendance is essential to student learning, academic growth, and graduation success.
The district will continue working with students and families to identify and address barriers to attendance, strengthen connections to school, and reinforce the importance of being present and engaged in learning.
Commitment to Continuous Improvement
“I am very proud of the school improvement work taking place across all three of our buildings. Our administration, faculty teams, and instructional coaches are working hard to strengthen instruction, improve student proficiency and growth in ELA and math, address attendance, increase graduation rates, and expand opportunities for students to participate in advanced coursework.
“What makes me most proud is our dedicated faculty and staff who continue to move the needle for our students. They are committed to finding solutions, addressing the content and skills our students need, and keeping students at the center of their work. I am proud of all three of our schools and the progress they are making. We know there is more work to do, and I look forward to continuing that work together,” said Rea.
Looking ahead, the district will continue to build on this momentum through a new five-year strategic planning process.
“I am excited to engage our school teams and community in developing a five-year strategic plan that will help guide our work and establish priorities for the future. This is an important opportunity to build on our progress, listen to the voices of our stakeholders, and ensure we are preparing each student for a future that aligns with their interests, strengths, and aspirations while also responding to the needs of our community. We will continue to celebrate our successes, learn from our data, and keep students at the center of every decision,” said Rea.
The 2026 Illinois Report Card is available at IllinoisReportCard.com. The Du Quoin CUSD #300 district report card can be viewed here.