The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in Math. The lowest is 33% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Chrisman Elem School
Chrisman Elementary School serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in a small rural city in east-central Illinois. The school sits on North Pennsylvania Street in the heart of town, part of Edgar County CUD 6, a district serving the Chrisman area with a small school system. The school's enrollment is small, with most grades in the early teens to low twenties; pre-K through fifth grade together comprise fewer than one hundred thirty students. The student population is predominantly white, with very small numbers of Asian, Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students. The school draws from a community where most residents own their homes, with a significant retiree population, and where employment is spread across manufacturing, health care, and educational services rather than anchored to a single large employer.
Test results on Illinois state assessments paint a picture of below-target proficiency across the board. In math, third grade achieved a moderate proficiency rate, fourth grade reached halfway proficiency, and fifth grade fell to a low proficiency level. English language arts showed a similar pattern: third grade near mid-range, fourth grade at thirty percent proficiency, fifth grade in the low thirties. Fifth grade science proficiency was also low. All tested grades showed full student participation in assessments. A parent may want to look into further with the school what support structures exist for students below proficiency level and what interventions or resources the school has deployed to strengthen math and ELA achievement, particularly as students move from third to fifth grade.
When positioned against the other districts in Edgar County, Chrisman Elementary's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint, meaning it performs better than the county median on the balance of tested subjects and grades. This does not erase the absolute proficiency gaps evident in the school's own data, but it does place the school in a middle-to-upper position within its immediate comparison group.
The school serves a community with modest economic resources. Home values in the area are well below state and national averages, and median household income is moderate. The broader Chrisman economy has experienced slight employment decline over the past year. There are no major new housing developments underway, and the city's population has been stable to slightly declining. Civic anchors include the in-town public library, city parks with playgrounds and trails, and the traditional downtown grid where City Hall and the elementary school both sit. There is no public transit; residents rely on cars. The secondary schools occupy a separate campus outside town on the highway, while elementary education and civic functions remain in the downtown.
The school participates fully in state testing. State assessment data shifted proficiency criteria in the most recent year, so year-to-year trend comparison is not available. No prior-year performance data was accessible to show whether these proficiency levels are holding steady or changing. No information on graduation rate appears, which is appropriate for an elementary school that does not serve that grade band. Free-and-reduced-price lunch eligibility data and special-population rates such as IEP or English learner numbers were not reported, preventing a view into economic hardship or support-service prevalence in the enrolled population. No data on school discipline, course offerings, staffing, or chronic absenteeism was provided.
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