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 SW Illinois News analysis of test score data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
ISBE reports that last year, 41% of Monroe County's 2,205 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.
Valmeyer Junior High School (66.7%), Valmeyer Elementary School (58.4%) and Gardner Elementary School (48%) had the highest failure rates in Monroe County. Meanwhile, Waterloo Junior High School (29.7%) and Rogers Elementary School (28.2%) had the lowest.
Of seven Monroe County high schools, five, including Gardner Elementary School, Columbia Middle School, and Parkview Elementary School had passing rates of more than 50%.
Countywide, English test failure rates fell from 48.4% in 2021 to 41.0% in 2023.
The failure rate rose in three Monroe County high schools in 2023, with the most significant increase happening at Valmeyer Elementary School (58.4%).
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%).
Waterloo Junior High School was the only Monroe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valmeyer Junior High School | 87 | 62.1% | 67.1% | 66.7% |
| Valmeyer Elementary School | 72 | 58.7% | 54% | 58.4% |
| Gardner Elementary School | 392 | 44.5% | 47.3% | 48% |
| Columbia Middle School | 607 | 54.1% | 57.2% | 46.9% |
| Parkview Elementary School | 281 | 47.1% | 35% | 37.3% |
| Waterloo Junior High School | 603 | 45.1% | 44.2% | 29.7% |
| Rogers Elementary School | 163 | 40.1% | 43.4% | 28.2% |
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