West Cook News

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. 

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	D	F	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