SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A new report shows Illinois educational attainment continues to rise, and the state's schools weathered pandemic challenges better than other states. Although academic proficiency remains very low, equity gaps persist for students across the state.

Nonprofit education policy group Advance Illinois announced Wednesday that Kindergarten readiness is improving, but gaps widened from 2018 to 2023 for English learners, by family income, and type of disability. Only a third of early childhood students show readiness in language and literacy, math and social-emotional skills.

Illinois remains one of the country's leaders in academic growth between third and eighth grade, yet proficiency is stagnant for about a third of the student population.

"Fourth grade reading,

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