Ricms, Rock Island IL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Ricms

Rock Island Central Middle School (RICMS) is a K–6 building in Rock Island, Illinois, part of Rock Island-Milan School District 41. The school serves a diverse student body of roughly 440 students across eight grades, ranging from kindergarten through sixth grade. The enrollment is distributed fairly evenly across grades, with slightly smaller populations in sixth grade.

The student body reflects the city's demographic makeup. About a third of enrollment is White, just under a third is Black, and roughly one-fifth is Hispanic. Asian students and those identifying as two or more races make up smaller shares. The school draws from a residential neighborhood setting in a post-industrial Quad Cities river city that is experiencing slow population decline rather than growth.

Academic performance on Illinois state assessments shows consistent struggle across elementary and middle grades. Math proficiency rates in grades 3–4 sit in the low-to-mid range, but proficiency drops sharply by fifth grade to a very low level and remains low through sixth grade. English language arts shows a similar pattern: third and fourth graders post proficiency rates in the low range, fifth-grade proficiency is very low, and sixth grade rebounds somewhat though still well below the state norm. Fifth-grade science proficiency is quite low. Across the school, participation rates are strong—testing is occurring—but the absolute numbers of students meeting proficiency standards are small. A parent reviewing these results should understand that RICMS faces a learning gap challenge, particularly at the upper elementary and middle-grades level, that demands serious instructional attention.

Positioning RICMS against other districts in Rock Island County, the school's overall proficiency index falls below the midpoint, placing it among the lower performers in the county cohort. This is important context for families comparing across the district and the region.

The district itself is undergoing significant changes that will touch every school. A facilities management plan is openly evaluating consolidation of the district's roughly 14 schools, many of which are aging. Families considering the area should expect possible boundary shifts and school closures over the coming years. At the same time, the district has adopted science-of-reading-aligned literacy programs—CKLA in grades K–2 and Expeditionary Learning through eighth—as part of a districtwide "Reading Revolution" aimed at more structured, extended daily reading instruction. Early results from the 2025 state report card showed several district schools moving up at least one accountability rating, suggesting the shift is having some effect. The district also recently completed a new administration center with a production kitchen serving all schools, reflecting capital investment in operations.

For a parent or resident evaluating RICMS, the core question is whether the school's current instructional support, combined with the district's literacy initiative and potential operational changes, will move the proficiency needle. The state test results show real opportunity for growth, particularly in elementary math and reading. The recentpedagogy shift toward science-of-reading instruction is a concrete, evidence-based step the district has taken. A parent may want to look further into how the Reading Revolution is being implemented at RICMS specifically, what supplemental intervention exists for students below grade level, and whether the school's staff and resources are adequate to the challenge ahead.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 34% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 28% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 510%

School 10% · District 16% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 625%

School 25% · District 19% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 332%

School 32% · District 31% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 12 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 30% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 514%

School 14% · District 27% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

Grade 639%

School 39% · District 39%

▼ 11 pts below state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 19% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

This schoolRock Island SD 41, 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.