West Central Reporter

Nearly 9 in 10 Hancock County public high school students aren't at grade level in math.

That's according to a West Central Reporter analysis of 2023 test score data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

ISBE reports that last year, 89% of Hancock County's 73 public high school students — approximately 64 students — failed the math 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.

Out of the two Hancock County schools, Southeastern Junior/Senior High School (93.1%) had the highest failure rate in the county. Hamilton High School (86.3%) had the lowest.

Countywide, math test failure rates rose from 85.5% in 2021 to 89% in 2023.

Failure rates increased at in 2023, from % to %.

Statewide, failure rates increased the most in Wayne County, Greene County, Sangamon County, Pike County, and Pulaski County, where the percentage of students who failed the math exam rose to 74.1%, 86.4%, 95.6%, 96.7%, and 100%, respectively.

No Hancock County high schools saw math scores improve between 2021 and 2023.

Statewide, 75.6% of Illinois students failed the 2023 state math exam, up from 64% in 2021.

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
Southeastern Junior/Senior High School	29	92%	80.6%	93.1%
Hamilton High School	44	80%	83.4%	86.3%