The number of students taking and passing college credit courses rose during the 2023-24 school year, according to the post-high school report presented by Evanston Township High School staff at the Monday District 202 Board of Education meeting.
However, the percentage of students who actually enrolled in college from ETHS dropped for the second year in a row, and only half of those who enrolled graduated in six years or less, according to the report.
Data from this post-high school report and this quarter’s data dashboard prompted board Vice President Monique Parsons to state that “our most delicate students need support.”
The number of students taking dual credit enrollment courses at ETHS and Oakton College, potentially earning them transferable college credits, continues to increase. The number of students jumped from 204 in 2023 to 386 in 2024 for an 89.2% increase.
The already robust number of students in AP classes increased 7.9% as well: 1,151 students took an AP class in 2024, up from 1,067 in 2023.
Of those students taking an AP course, 81% earned a 3 or higher on an exam, which is considered a passing grade.
In 37 states including Illinois, public colleges and universities are required to accept this score as college credit.
The total number of exams taken and passed increased, too, with 75% of the 2,660 AP exams administered resulting in a passing grade of 3 or higher, and 47% in a 4 or higher. This is up from the year prior’s 2,404 AP exams with 66% resulting in a 3 or higher and 39% in a 4 or higher.
Disparities in success exist between demographic groups taking AP courses at ETHS, but every demographic group rose in the percentage of students passing at least one exam between 2023 and 2024.
Beth Arey, the school’s college and career coordinator, also discussed a tool the school plans to better utilize to help students plan for after high school. The multiservice online platform called SchooLinks replaced a previous tool, Naviance, in 2020.
Arey said the change was intended “to focus more on career exploration, instead of just the college exploration tool that Naviance focused on.”
As of Monday, she said, 100% of ETHS seniors had chosen a post-high school goal on SchooLinks, whether college- or career-related. This was achieved by following up with individual students who had not set up a goal in the program.
This goal can be changed at any time, but Arey explained that just having a goal helps students.
“Research actually says if you know what you want to be when you grow up, even if you don’t end up being that, the outcomes are much better academically,” she said. “We’re not foolish enough to know that everyone whose plan that they entered in SchooLinks is the one that they’re going to follow through on.”
Areas for growth
The percentage of students enrolling in college within two years of graduation dropped for the second year in a row, from 78% to 75%. A number of factors could contribute to this drop, including expanded focus at ETHS on post-high school options that don’t require college degrees.
“The college-for-all era left many students behind, both here and across the country,” Superintendent Marcus Campbell said. “This is why we embraced the hand-in-hand approach of college and career.”
Only 53% of students who enrolled in college within two years of high school graduation completed their degree in six years or less, though. This number jumps down even further for students completing a degree in four years or less.
Arey said she hoped earlier career exploration will help mitigate this. This is another benefit, according to Arey, of students stating a goal in SchooLinks.
Board member Gretchen Livngston, though, had some concerns about the potentially unachievable goals that kids might state, like becoming professional athletes.
“It’s worrying to think that some of these kids were under pressure to put out a plan,” she said.
“The research shows us that when students have not put the effort into career exploration, there is prolonged education without degrees,” responded Pete Bavis, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
Several board members connected data presented in this quarter’s data dashboard update with the post-college report, especially regarding absences from school.
Absentee factor
So far this year, 15% of ETHS students have nine or more absences, excused or unexcused, and 7% of students have four or more unexcused absences.
“It’s hard for me to put those two in isolation,” Parsons said. “I know that some of our students that need more support in getting to that goal of what happens after high school could very well be those kids that are not coming to school.”
Livingston shared similar concerns.
“Absences seem to me to be such an impediment to success,” she said. “If you’re not present in school, there’s no way you can succeed.”
She also cited concerns about the high percentage of low-income students who are absent: 58% of those with nine or more excused or unexcused absences and 81% of those with four or more unexcused absences were students on free or reduced lunch.
Munirah Bolis, student services department chair, said the school is working to identify which students are chronically absent and truant and better track interventions taking place school-wide.
Campbell also shared with the board that the team has studied some chronically truant students to better understand what they’re dealing with.
“It’s just heartbreaking,” he said of these student experiences.
In the future, Bavis and Arey plan to incorporate demographic data into their report on college enrollment and graduation and send out alumni surveys to better capture the decisions and results of those who did not end up attending or completing college.
More ETHS students pass AP courses but college enrollment share dips again is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.