Naperville District 203 K-8 students scored more than double the national average in both reading and math on year-end benchmark tests, according to data reported by NCTV17 from the Board of Education's Monday, July 20 meeting.

On the NWEA MAP Growth assessment, 40% of District 203 students landed in the top quintile in reading this spring, and 45% hit that mark in math. In a nationally representative district, 20% of students would fall in each quintile. The gap means D203 students are outperforming national peers at roughly twice the expected rate.

"These are really results that should be celebrated, because they're phenomenal," Board President Charles Cush said at the meeting.

Patrick Nolten, the district's assistant superintendent for assessment, accountability, and information, presented the full year-end data at the Administration Center on Hillside Road. Math scores climbed steadily across the school year, rising from 41% in the top quintile in fall 2025 to 45% by spring 2026. Reading peaked at 44% in winter before finishing at 40% in spring.

Median scores by grade told a similar story. Most K-8 grades posted median reading percentiles between the 67th and 78th nationally, and median math percentiles between the 68th and 82nd. Fourth and sixth graders led the way in math at the 82nd percentile.

Gaps persist for some student groups

The district's own presentation acknowledged that not all students share equally in those results. African American and Black students posted median reading percentiles of 52 to 53 and math percentiles of 44 to 49. Hispanic and Latino students scored in the 59 to 64 range in reading and 59 to 63 in math. The district's summary noted "specific student group achievement levels discrepant relative to peers."

Special education students showed improvement over the year, with median math percentiles climbing from 38 in fall to 44 by spring. Multilingual learners rose from 51 to 57 in math over the same period.

What comes next for families

Superintendent Dan Bridges told the board the data will be integrated directly into school improvement plans at every D203 elementary and middle school, with those plans presented to the board in September. The district has used MAP Growth since fall 2019 and administers it to virtually every K-8 student in reading and math three times per year.

Nolten noted the assessment is adaptive, adjusting question difficulty based on each student's responses, and is aligned to Illinois Learning Standards. The district's official state accountability results from the Illinois Assessment of Readiness remain embargoed until Oct. 30, when they will appear on the updated Illinois Report Card.

D203 week ahead

• Monday, Aug. 3: D203 Board of Education meeting, Administration Center, 203 W. Hillside Road. The board is expected to vote on extending Superintendent Bridges' contract through June 30, 2031.