How many McDonough County students failed their math exams in 2023-24 school year?

Macomb Senior High School Principal Scott Sullivan (2023) | Macomb Senior High School

By West Central Reporter

Jan 6, 2025

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

That's according to an analysis from West Central Reporter of test scores compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

ISBE reports that in the 2023-24 school year, 85.2% of McDonough County's 257 public high school students—approximately 218 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 three McDonough County schools, Bushnell-Prairie City High School (96%) had the highest failure rate in the county, and Macomb Senior High School had the lowest (79.9%).

No high school in McDonough County had a student passing rate exceeding 50%.

Countywide, math test failure rates rose from 85.1% in the 2022-23 school year to 85.2% in the 2023-24 school year.

Statewide, failure rates were highest in Bureau County, Christian County, Gallatin County, Schuyler County, and Hamilton County, where the percentage of students who failed the math exam were 82.4%, 91.6%, 93.4%, 93.6%, and 95.2%, respectively.

West Prairie High School and Bushnell-Prairie City High School were the only McDonough County high schools that saw math scores improve between the 2022-23 school year and the 2023-24 school year.

Data shows that 73.7% of Illinois students failed the 2023-24 school year state math exam, up from 73% in the 2022-23 school year.

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.”

Math Failure Rates in McDonough County High Schools in 2023-24 School Year