The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in Science. The lowest is 20% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Earl H Hanson Elem School
Earl H. Hanson Elementary School is a small public school in Rock Island serving pre-K through sixth grade, with an enrollment split fairly evenly across its grade levels. The school sits in a city experiencing slow population decline, and the district that operates it is in the midst of significant operational and instructional change.
The student body at Hanson reflects Rock Island's demographic composition. Black students make up a plurality of enrollment, followed by Asian, white, and multiracial students in smaller shares. Roughly a quarter of the school is white. The school does not report free-or-reduced-price-lunch eligibility or counts of students with IEPs or English learners, so those pictures are unavailable.
Academic performance at Hanson is a concern parents should examine closely. On the 2024-25 state assessments in English language arts and math, proficiency rates are consistently low across tested grades. In third grade, roughly a third of students were proficient or above in ELA and math; performance drops sharply in fourth grade, where only a small handful of students met proficiency in math, and by sixth grade, fewer than a third reach proficiency in either subject. Fifth grade ELA is an exception, where about half the students tested at proficient or above. Science results are available only for fifth grade, where about half the students met proficiency. Testing data does not exist for seventh and eighth grades because the school serves only through sixth, so no comparison can be made to secondary benchmarks. The district notes that proficiency scoring changed this year, making it difficult to see whether performance has improved or declined from prior years.
Within the county school comparison set for Rock Island County's districts, Hanson's overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint, with stronger performers in the county showing proficiency rates roughly double or more. This positioning reflects a real gap that a parent may want to look into further with the school, including what instructional supports exist and what the school's trajectory has been.
The district itself is undertaking two significant changes that will affect Hanson directly. It has adopted new science-of-reading literacy curricula—Culturally Responsive, Linguistically Sustaining (CKLA) in kindergarten through second grade and Expeditionary Learning through eighth—as part of a districtwide "Reading Revolution" aimed at deeper, more structured reading instruction. Early reports suggest this shift is showing results; several district schools moved up in state accountability ratings. Hanson's performance in ELA will likely reflect how well this transition takes hold. The district has also launched a comprehensive Facilities Management Plan that includes possible school consolidations and specific upgrades to parking and security at Washington, Jefferson, and Hanson schools, among others. Parents considering enrollment should expect that boundary lines and school configurations may shift over the next several years as the district rightsizes its footprint.
The housing market in Rock Island is modestly priced relative to national benchmarks, reflecting the city's economic context and slow decline. The median home value is below the Illinois state benchmark, and rental prices are proportionally low, making the area affordable for families of modest means. However, the local economic picture is one of gradual contraction; the city and county have lost population over recent decades while the region's larger employers—Rock Island Arsenal and Deere & Company—remain stable but not expanding.
Hanson is a school serving a real community, with changing instructional approach and an uncertain physical future. The test data shows students not yet reaching proficiency at rates the district and families would hope for, though the new literacy initiatives are still early. A parent choosing this school should understand the current academic performance, factor in the district's instructional pivot, and recognize that facility and boundary changes are likely within the next few years.
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