West Central Reporter

Despite dismal student performance on annual exams covering math and reading, high school graduation rates remain high across the region, according to a West Central Reporter analysis of 2016 data from the Illinois State Board of Education.

Of the 31 schools analyzed in Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Greene, Hancock, McDonough, Morgan, Pike, Schuyler and Scott counties, Beardstown Jr./Sr. High School showed the greatest disparity. In a year when 87 percent of seniors graduated on time, just 7 percent of students actually passed annual tests that the state uses to determine who is "ready for the next level."

The end-of-year tests known as the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, are administered to third- through eighth-graders in Illinois, testing them based on Common Core standards. High schoolers also took the tests through 2016. 

A composite score combines the results of the subject tests. Students whose scores either meet or exceed expectations are considered "ready for the next level."

Schools' graduation fraud index shows the difference between the composite passing rate and the graduation rate.

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Graduation fraud index

West Central Illinois high school	School district	City	Annual exam pass rate (%)	Graduation rate (%)	Graduation fraud index
Beardstown Jr/Sr High School	Beardstown Cusd 15	Beardstown	6.5	87.2	-80.7
Brown County High School	Brown County Cusd 1	Mount Sterling	13.9	93.6	-79.7
A-C Central High School	A-C Central Cusd 262	Ashland	15.7	94.1	-78.4
Calhoun High School	Calhoun Cusd 40	Hardin	20	92.9	-72.9
West Prairie High School	West Prairie Cusd 103	Sciota	23.1	95.7	-72.6
Triopia Jr-Sr High School	Triopia Cusd 27	Concord	24.6	96.6	-72
Franklin Jr/Sr High School	Franklin Cusd 1	Franklin	17.4	87.5	-70.1
Macomb Senior High School	Macomb Cusd 185	Macomb	22.8	92.3	-69.5
Virginia Jr/ Sr High School	Virginia Cusd 64	Virginia	24.7	94.1	-69.4
Greenfield High School	Greenfield Cusd 10	Greenfield	20	88.2	-68.2
North Greene Jr High School	North Greene Cusd 3	White Hall	18	86.1	-68.1
Waverly Jr/Sr High School	Waverly Cusd 6	Waverly	32.1	100	-67.9
Winchester High School	Winchester Cusd 1	Winchester	26.2	92.6	-66.4
Brussels Community Unit School District 42	Brussels Cusd 42	Brussels	34.3	100	-65.7
Bushnell-Prairie City High School	Bushnell Prairie City Cusd 170	Bushnell	17	81.4	-64.4
Pleasant Hill High School	Pleasant Hill Cusd 3	Pleasant Hill	10.8	75	-64.2
Pittsfield High School	Pikeland Cusd 10	Pittsfield	24.8	88.2	-63.4
Rushville-Industry High School	Schuyler-Industry Cusd 5	Rushville	19.3	82.4	-63.1
Southeastern Jr/Sr High School	Southeastern Cusd 337	Augusta	25.8	87.5	-61.7
Bluffs High School	Scott-Morgan Cusd 2	Bluffs	34.8	94.4	-59.6
Western High School	Western Cusd 12	Barry	25.4	84.4	-59
Jacksonville High School	Jacksonville Sd 117	Jacksonville	21.5	78.1	-56.6
Hamilton CCSD 328	Hamilton Ccsd 328	Hamilton	35.6	88.2	-52.6
Illini West High School	Illini West H S Dist 307	Carthage	36.8	88.3	-51.5
Meredosia-Chambersburg High School	Meredosia-Chambersburg Cusd 11	Meredosia	24	69.2	-45.2
Griggsville-Perry High School	Griggsville-Perry Cusd 4	Griggsville	40	78.9	-38.9
Carrollton High School	Carrollton Cusd 1	Carrollton	56.6	92.2	-35.6
Warsaw Senior High School	Warsaw Cusd 316	Warsaw	25.5	13.3	12.2

Source: Illinois State Board of Education