Chief Education Officer Jason Helfer (2023) | Illinois State Board of education
Chief Education Officer Jason Helfer (2023) | Illinois State Board of education
That's according to a South Central Reporter analysis of test score data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
ISBE reports that last year, 45.2% of Christian County's 1,903 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.
Edinburg Elementary School (72.5%), Edinburg Junior High School (62.5%) and South Fork Elementary School (58.7%) had the highest failure rates in Christian County. Meanwhile, Lincoln Elementary School (37.9%) and Taylorville Junior High School (36.8%) had the lowest.
Of 11 Christian County high schools, five, including Morrisonville Elementary School, Pana Junior High School, and Morrisonville Junior High School had passing rates of more than 50%.
Countywide, English test failure rates fell from 51% in 2021 to 45.2% in 2023.
The failure rate rose in four Christian County high schools in 2023, with the most significant increase happening at South Fork Elementary School (58.7%).
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%).
South Fork Junior Senior High School, Central A&M Middle School, Morrisonville Junior High School, and Lincoln Elementary School were the Christian County high schools 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburg Elementary School | 51 | 58.8% | 68.6% | 72.5% |
| Edinburg Junior High School | 56 | 58.2% | 72% | 62.5% |
| South Fork Elementary School | 63 | 45.6% | 49.1% | 58.7% |
| South Fork Junior Senior High School | 59 | 65.5% | 59.2% | 57.6% |
| Central A&M Middle School | 160 | 68.7% | 57.3% | 55.6% |
| Memorial Elementary School | 249 | 49.7% | 50% | 51.4% |
| Morrisonville Elementary School | 84 | 55.7% | 58.8% | 46.4% |
| Pana Junior High School | 261 | 56.9% | 44.3% | 45.6% |
| Morrisonville Junior High School | 40 | 51.4% | 46.8% | 42.5% |
| Lincoln Elementary School | 219 | 48% | 46.7% | 37.9% |
| Taylorville Junior High School | 661 | 44.3% | 45.5% | 36.8% |
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