IL Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders (2023) | Institute of Education Sciences
IL Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders (2023) | Institute of Education Sciences
That's according to a NW Illinois News analysis of test score data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
ISBE reports that last year, 46.3% of Stephenson County's 2,382 public high school students failed the ELA portion of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and have "minimal (or) incomplete… understanding of the knowledge and skills relative to Illinois Learning Standards."
Students can achieve four proficiencies in their subjects (partially met, approaching, meets, and exceeds standards). This report concludes students who partially met or approached the standards have failed in the subject.
Jones-Farrar, an International Baccalaureate World School (58.8%), Dakota Elementary School (57.3%) and Carl Sandburg Middle School (54%) had the highest failure rates in Stephenson County. Meanwhile, Center Elementary School (24.7%) and Lena-Winslow Junior High School (21.3%) had the lowest.
Of 15 Stephenson County high schools, 11, including Freeport Middle School, Lena-Winslow Elementary School, and Pearl City Elementary School had passing rates of more than 50%.
Countywide, English test failure rates rose from 45.9% in 2021 to 46.3% in 2023.
The failure rate rose in nine Stephenson County high schools in 2023, with the most significant increase happening at Orangeville Junior High School (51.3%).
Data shows that the highest failure rates growths were seen in Christian County (72.5%), Hancock County (73.8%), Cook County (74.1%), White County (74.1%), and Morgan County (76.7%).
Pearl City Elementary School, Pearl City Junior High School, Black Hawk Elementary School, Lincoln-Douglas Elementary School, and Center Elementary School were the Stephenson County high schools to see improvements between 2021 and 2023.
Statewide, 39.9% of Illinois students failed the 2023 state English exam, down from 64% in 2019.
The SAT test is administered to Illinois high school sophomores "to fulfill the requirement that students take an assessment for college and career readiness in order to receive a regular high school diploma."
| High School | # of Students | Failing % in 2021 | Failing % in 2022 | Failing % in 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jones-Farrar, an International Baccalaureate World School | 170 | 49.2% | 53.2% | 58.8% |
| Dakota Elementary School | 213 | 64.2% | 53.8% | 57.3% |
| Carl Sandburg Middle School | 389 | 51.9% | 48.5% | 54% |
| Orangeville Junior High School | 74 | 31.7% | 33.8% | 51.3% |
| Freeport Middle School | 470 | 41.9% | 50.4% | 47.7% |
| Lena-Winslow Elementary School | 161 | 48.4% | 46.5% | 47.2% |
| Pearl City Elementary School | 106 | 50% | 49.6% | 46.2% |
| Dakota Junior Senior High School | 107 | 35.1% | 36.5% | 45.8% |
| Orangeville Elementary School | 59 | 49.1% | 43.4% | 45.7% |
| Empire Elementary School | 118 | 36.1% | 36.6% | 44.9% |
| Pearl City Junior High School | 78 | 56.3% | 45.2% | 41% |
| Black Hawk Elementary School | 111 | 52% | 39.3% | 37.8% |
| Lincoln-Douglas Elementary School | 81 | 50.9% | 43% | 32.1% |
| Center Elementary School | 81 | 41.7% | 29.5% | 24.7% |
| Lena-Winslow Junior High School | 164 | 25.2% | 21.2% | 21.3% |
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY
!RECEIVE ALERTS
DONATE
Alerts Sign-up