Mokena 159 Students Outperform State Averages on New Baseline Assessments

Mokena School District 159 Meeting | November 19, 2025

Article Summary: Mokena School District 159 students significantly outperformed state averages on the Spring 2025 Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) and Illinois Science Assessment (ISA), according to a report presented to the Board of Education. Due to a statewide change in proficiency standards, 2025 now serves as a new baseline year, meaning these scores cannot be directly compared to previous years.

Illinois Assessment Results Key Points:

• English Language Arts (ELA): 71.8% of Mokena students are proficient, compared to the state average of 53.1%.

• Math: 62.7% of Mokena students are proficient, compared to the state average of 38.5%.

• Science: 56% of Mokena students in grades 5 and 8 are proficient, compared to the state average of 44.6%.

• State Rankings: Mokena ranks in the top 10% of elementary districts statewide for math proficiency and the top 15% for ELA proficiency.

MOKENA, IL – The Mokena School District 159 board on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, reviewed a detailed presentation on student performance from the Spring 2025 state assessments, which showed district students achieving proficiency rates well above state averages.

Dr. Kristin Johnson, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, explained that the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) adopted new, “right-sized” assessment performance levels over the summer. This change creates a new baseline for data, and scores from 2025 cannot be compared to prior years. Statewide, the adjustment resulted in an average 10% increase in proficiency rates for ELA and math, and an 8% decrease in science.

“This data that I’m sharing tonight sets a new baseline for the district,” Johnson said.

In Mokena, 71.8% of students were deemed proficient or above proficient in ELA, far exceeding the state’s 53.1% average. In math, 62.7% of Mokena students achieved proficiency, compared to the 38.5% state average. For the Illinois Science Assessment, administered to 5th and 8th graders, 56% of students were proficient, surpassing the state’s 44.6%.

The strong results place Mokena among the top-performing elementary districts in the state, ranking in the top 10% for math and top 15% for ELA.

A grade-level breakdown of the math data revealed a point of concern in the sixth grade, which had the lowest proficiency level in the district. Johnson noted this was a trend seen in many area districts and stated that administrators would be investigating the cause. “That is definitely something we will be digging in,” she assured the board.

For the 2024-2025 school year, all three Mokena schools—Mokena Elementary, Mokena Intermediate, and Mokena Junior High—received a “Commendable” summative designation from the state. Mokena Junior High had previously held an “Exemplary” rating. Johnson explained that student growth accounts for 50% of the designation score, and while Mokena’s growth was average, it was not as high as in previous years, impacting the final designation.