Staff Reports
The Educate Illinois Now foundation has called out a recent report on the performance of tax credit scholarship recipients in the state’s public schools. The report, conducted by WestEd for the Illinois State Board of Education, has sparked controversy as Empower Illinois, a leading educational nonprofit, slammed the findings, labeling them as “meaningless” and flawed.
Educational group calls Invest in Kids test scores report deeply flawed https://t.co/EeFzY8E6Eu via @thecentersquare
— Bishop On Air (@BishopOnAir) February 29, 2024
Empower Illinois Executive Director, Bobby Sylvester, didn’t hold back in his scathing critique of the report, highlighting the lack of proper context in comparing low-income scholarship recipients to all public school students. He emphasized that the report failed to adhere to the specific requirements outlined in the Invest in Kids Act, which specifies that scholarship students should be compared to public school students from similar socioeconomic backgrounds.
According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education, Invest in Kids scholarship recipients outperformed their low-income counterparts across various categories, yet the report failed to accurately capture this achievement. Despite this, an ISBE spokesperson defended the report, citing the inability to collect demographic data on scholarship recipients as a limitation, leading to the comparison of averages without considering the nuances of student backgrounds.
As the Invest in Kids program faced expiration in December, Sylvester remains optimistic that Illinois lawmakers will address this crucial initiative in the upcoming legislative session. He stressed that the program has been a lifeline for countless families, providing much-needed educational opportunities for their children.
Since its establishment, the program has awarded nearly 41,000 scholarships statewide, making a tangible impact on the lives of students and families across Illinois. With the future of the program hanging in the balance, the battle over educational opportunities and the fairness of reporting their success continues to rile up supporters and critics alike in the political arena.
