Oak Park and River Forest High School (OPRF) is giving out 53% more A grades than it did a decade ago, and 48% fewer Ds and Fs.
That’s according to an analysis of school profile reports published by OPRF between the 2010-11 and 2020-21 academic years.
In 2010-11, 33.1% of OPRF grades given were As, 9.2% Ds and 3.5% Fs.
Last school year, 50.8% of OPRF grades given were As, 5.5% Ds and 1.1% Fs.Â
School data shows OPRF has steadily increased the number of As and Bs it has given students, from 67.1% in 2010-11 to 73.5% in 2015-16 to 79.4% of grades issued last year.
Only 13.5% of grades issued at OPRF last year were Cs; in 2010-11, that number was 20%.
Fewer AP credits earned
Over the same period, the number of OPRF students receiving credit-worthy grades on Advanced Placement (AP) examinations fell from 60% in 2010-11 to 46% last year.
The number of failed AP tests soared to one in four– or 25% of tests taken.
That number was as low as 10% in 2012-13.
OPRF students took 1,758 AP tests in 2020-21 and failed 440 of them, according to school records.
In 2012-13, they took 1,721 AP tests at OPRF and failed 172.
Average ACT composite scores at OPRF held steady at between 13% and 17% above the national average at OPRF, over the eight years between 2010-11 and 2017-18, the school’s highest-performing year of the period (24.5 average vs. 21.0 national average).
OPRF no longer reports composite ACT scores but, rather, those from a revised version of the SAT a majority of its students now take.
In 2019-20, OPRF’s reading and writing composite SAT score was 8% above the national average and its math score 7% above. That was an improvement from 7.7% (reading/writing) and 5% (math) higher in 2018-19.
Students took no standardized SAT or ACT test in 2020-21.
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OPRF grades trending higher
OPRF is giving out more As & Bs and fewer Ds and Fs than it did a decade ago.
| Year | A | B | C | DÂ | FÂ | I |
| 2020-21 | 50.8% | 28.6% | 13.5% | 5.5% | 1.1% | 0.5% |
| 2019-20 | 44.1% | 30.8% | 15.8% | 6.7% | 2.4% | 0.1% |
| 2018-19 | 43.0% | 32.1% | 17.0% | 6.6% | 1.1% | 0.2% |
| 2017-18 | 43.0% | 32.1% | 17.0% | 6.6% | 1.1% | 0.2% |
| 2016-17 | 41.8% | 33.0% | 17.0% | 6.8% | 1.3% | 0.2% |
| 2015-16 | 39.9% | 33.6% | 17.2% | 7.4% | 1.7% | 0.2% |
| 2014-15 | 39.4% | 33.7% | 17.2% | 7.6% | 2.0% | 0.1% |
| 2013-14 | 39.8% | 33.6% | 17.5% | 7.2% | 1.8% | 0.2% |
| 2012-13 | 36.5% | 35.2% | 19.0% | 7.4% | 1.6% | 0.3% |
| 2011-12 | 33.0% | 34.0% | 19.9% | 9.3% | 3.6% | 0.2% |
| 2010-11 | 33.1% | 34.0% | 20.0% | 9.2% | 3.5% | 0.2% |
OPRF AP grades trending lower
Fewer OPRF students are receiving AP credits, and more are failing AP exams.
| Year | Tests taken | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2020-21 | 1,758 | 19% | 27% | 29% | 19% | 6% |
| 2019-20 | 1,754 | 23% | 32% | 27% | 15% | 3% |
| 2018-19 | 1,688 | 25% | 29% | 28% | 16% | 3% |
| 2017-18 | 1,741 | 27% | 32% | 26% | 13% | 3% |
| 2016-17 | 1,650 | 27% | 32% | 26% | 13% | 3% |
| 2015-16 | 1,684 | 28% | 34% | 26% | 9% | 3% |
| 2014-15 | 1,727 | 26% | 34% | 25% | 11% | 4% |
| 2013-14 | 1,721 | 27% | 31% | 26% | 12% | 5% |
| 2012-13 | 1,605 | 33% | 35% | 22% | 8% | 2% |
| 2011-12 | 1,592 | 33% | 31% | 22% | 10% | 4% |
| 2010-11 | 1,682 | 26% | 34% | 26% | 10% | 4% |
Source: Oak Park and River Forest High School
