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 West Central Reporter analysis of test score data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
ISBE reports that last year, 51.4% of McDonough County's 1,353 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.
Bushnell-Prairie City Junior High School (59.2%), West Prairie North Elementary School (59.2%) and Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School (53%) had the highest failure rates in McDonough County. Meanwhile, West Prairie South Elementary School (47.9%) and Macomb Junior High School (45.4%) had the lowest.
Countywide, English test failure rates fell from 51.9% in 2021 to 51.4% in 2023.
The failure rate rose in four McDonough County high schools in 2023, with the most significant increase happening at Lincoln Elementary School (51.6%).
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%).
Macomb Junior High School was the only McDonough County high school 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bushnell-Prairie City Junior High School | 125 | 46.4% | 49.6% | 59.2% |
| West Prairie North Elementary School | 76 | 53% | 48.8% | 59.2% |
| Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School | 119 | 54.9% | 46.5% | 53% |
| Edison Elementary School | 427 | 53.1% | 54.9% | 53% |
| Lincoln Elementary School | 128 | 45.5% | 39.1% | 51.6% |
| West Prairie Junior High School | 89 | 60% | 63.5% | 48.3% |
| West Prairie South Elementary School | 94 | 41% | 48% | 47.9% |
| Macomb Junior High School | 295 | 51.4% | 46.3% | 45.4% |
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