Dennis Lab School, Decatur IL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Dennis Lab School

Dennis Lab School serves kindergarten through eighth grade in Decatur, a mid-sized central Illinois city. The school enrolls a small to mid-sized population across its grade band, with a student body that is substantially African American, and meaningful shares of white students and students of mixed race. Free-or-reduced-price-lunch data and rates of special education and English learners were not available.

The state assessment results for 2024-25 are markedly weak across both English language arts and math. In third grade, proficiency in math stands at a single-digit rate, as does fourth-grade math; fifth and sixth graders show low proficiency in math as well, while seventh graders perform slightly better but remain far below typical benchmarks. English language arts shows a similar pattern: third grade reaches the middle of a low range, and most other grades fall below that. Science proficiency in fifth and eighth grades, the tested grades, appears somewhat higher in proportion than math or ELA, though still low. All tested grade levels show near-complete participation in assessments, indicating the results reflect actual student performance rather than opt-outs.

Positioned against the other districts in Macon County, Dennis Lab School's overall proficiency index places it squarely in the bottom quartile. This is a consequential gap. Parents may want to look into the school's approach to reading and math instruction, any recent leadership or curriculum changes, and what support systems are in place for students who are not yet proficient. The school's status as a laboratory school (suggested by its name) may offer a particular pedagogical mission or structure; web data on the school's specific programs or partnerships was not available to characterize that further.

Decatur Public Schools, the district serving this school, approved a bell-to-bell electronic devices ban in the 2024-25 school year, requiring all students to keep phones, tablets, and smartwatches in locked lockers throughout the day. Additionally, the district launched a comprehensive strategic facility plan in October 2024 that will analyze building conditions and alignment with future enrollment and financial needs, with recommendations brought to the board in May 2025; this planning effort may affect school operations and programs as it unfolds.

Decatur itself is a historic commodity-processing city centered on agricultural grain milling, particularly soybeans. Downtown has a walkable historic district with shops, restaurants, and parks anchoring daily civic life, though most of the city is auto-oriented residential and industrial areas. The city's population is gradually declining, but revitalization efforts are underway, including a major housing project at the former United Methodist Children's Home site beginning construction in early 2024. Employment is anchored by Archer Daniels Midland and other agribusiness firms, as well as healthcare, higher education, and public sector jobs.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 38%

School 8% · District 11% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 38 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 42%

School 2% · District 9% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 6% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 65%

School 5% · District 5%

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 79%

School 9% · District 8% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 83%

School 3% · District 4% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 316%

School 16% · District 13% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 47%

School 7% · District 18% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 41 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 17% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 38 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 66%

School 6% · District 18% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 44 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 717%

School 17% · District 15% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 84%

School 4% · District 19% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 49 pts below state median · ▼ 36 pts below county median

Science

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 15% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 817%

School 17% · District 21% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

This schoolDecatur SD 61, 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.