IAR results are in and 80.3% of Randolph County students failed the mathematics portion of the test in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
The students’ overall failure rate in the subject in Randolph County rose by 0.3% compared to the previous school year.
In comparison, schools in Alexander County fared the worst among all Illinois counties, with 97.1% of students failing to meet test requirements.
At the other end of the spectrum, Monroe County had the highest success rate across the state, with 50% of its students passing the mathematics portion of the IAR.
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) measures how well students in grades 3-8 are progressing toward state standards in English language arts and mathematics.
Recent IAR data shows that while Illinois students improved slightly in the test, math performance remains below pre-pandemic levels. In 2024, 28.4% of students met math benchmarks, compared to 31.8% in 2019. However, data also indicates a significant achievement gap based on race and ethnicity.Â
The disparities were even more pronounced in math. White students achieved a proficiency rate of 38.7%, while Black students achieved 9.1% and Hispanic students 15.6%. Asian students achieved the highest proficiency rates in both subjects, hitting 68.2% in ELA and 61.4% in math.
| School | Students who did not meet standards (%) | Total students tested |
|---|---|---|
| Coulterville Junior High School | 87.5% | 48 |
| Evansville Attendance Center | 87.3% | 87 |
| Sparta Lincoln School | 86.4% | 411 |
| Steeleville Elementary School | 84.6% | 169 |
| Chester Elementary School | 80.6% | 367 |
| Red Bud Elementary School | 74.7% | 383 |
| Prairie Du Rocher Elementary School | 65.1% | 69 |
| Coulterville Elementary School | 45.5% | 33 |
