East Coloma - Nelson Elem Sch, Rock Falls IL

Original Research by School Decision on East Coloma - Nelson Elem Sch

East Coloma - Nelson Elem School is a small, regular public school serving prekindergarten through eighth grade in Rock Falls, located in Whiteside County in north-central Illinois. The school has a student body of about two hundred, distributed across all ten grade levels from pre-K through eighth grade, with the largest cohort in the eighth grade.

The school's student population is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic enrollment making up a smaller portion. Specific data on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education, and English learner enrollment was not available. The school draws from Rock Falls, a small city on the south bank of the Rock River with a traditional manufacturing-based economy and a revitalized riverfront district anchoring civic life. The community has seen manufacturing employment decline over past decades but is investing in downtown and waterfront development. Housing in the area is moderately priced relative to state and national benchmarks, and the local job market centers on food processing, metal fabrication, retail, and health care.

Academic proficiency at East Coloma - Nelson shows mixed performance with a meaningful grade-level pattern. In English language arts, third graders show strong proficiency, with proficiency declining through the middle grades before rising sharply again in eighth grade. Fourth and seventh graders sit in the middle range, while fifth and sixth graders show lower rates. Mathematics proficiency is generally lower than ELA. Third graders begin around the school's median, but proficiency drops notably in fourth and fifth grades, reaches a low point in sixth grade, recovers somewhat in seventh, and rebounds in eighth. Science data covers only fifth and eighth grades; fifth grade science proficiency falls below the school's ELA and math in that grade, while eighth grade science shows stronger results. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency sits in the top quartile relative to other districts in Whiteside County. All students participate in the state assessments at full or near-full rates.

The most striking pattern in these results is the pronounced dip in mathematics performance in the upper elementary and early middle grades, particularly grades five and six. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, as it suggests potential challenges in transition years or shifts in math instruction, and could point to students needing additional support in numeracy-building during those grades. The variation in eighth-grade performance, where both ELA and science rise substantially while math remains lower, also merits conversation with the school about how students are being supported as they prepare for high school.

Rock Falls itself is a walkable small city with a revitalized uptown and riverfront district (the RB&W), civic parks, and the Hennepin Canal trail system for recreation. The community is oriented toward manufacturing employment and has been investing in economic development and housing market activity in recent years. The school sits within East Coloma - Nelson CESD 20, a small district serving Rock Falls. No recent major district curriculum changes or strategic initiatives surfaced in available sources.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 362%

School 62% · District 62%

▲ 16 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 456%

School 56% · District 56%

▲ 19 pts above state median

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 32%

▲ 2 pts above state median

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 26%

▲ 2 pts above state median

Grade 717%

School 17% · District 17%

▼ 12 pts below state median

Grade 835%

School 35% · District 35%

▲ 12 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 376%

School 76% · District 76%

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 456%

School 56% · District 56%

▲ 8 pts above state median

Grade 564%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 11 pts above state median

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 13 pts above state median

Grade 754%

School 54% · District 54%

▲ 3 pts above state median

Grade 883%

School 83% · District 83%

▲ 29 pts above state median

Science

Grade 552%

School 52% · District 52%

▲ 16 pts above state median

Grade 865%

School 65% · District 65%

▲ 26 pts above state median

This schoolEast Coloma - Nelson CESD 20, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.