Vice Chair of the Board Dr. Donna S. Leak (2023) | Illinois State Board of education
Vice Chair of the Board Dr. Donna S. Leak (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, 50.5% of Macoupin County's 3,006 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.
Northwestern Elementary School (67.9%), Mt. Olive Elementary School (63.5%) and Gillespie Middle School (62.7%) had the highest failure rates in Macoupin County. Meanwhile, Medora Intermediate School (38.6%) and Carlinville Middle School (36%) had the lowest.
Of 16 Macoupin County high schools, seven, including Carlinville Intermediate School, Staunton Elementary School, and Ben-Gil Elementary School had passing rates of more than 50%.
Countywide, English test failure rates fell from 55.9% in 2021 to 50.5% in 2023.
The failure rate rose in five Macoupin County high schools in 2023, with the most significant increase happening at Northwestern Elementary School (67.9%).
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%).
Wolf Ridge Education Center, Ben-Gil Elementary School, Staunton Junior High School, and Medora Intermediate School were the Macoupin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Elementary School | 84 | 60.5% | 58.7% | 67.9% |
| Mt. Olive Elementary School | 211 | 62.5% | 60.9% | 63.5% |
| Gillespie Middle School | 233 | 57.6% | 59.9% | 62.7% |
| North Mac Middle School | 223 | 66.8% | 60.4% | 61.9% |
| Wolf Ridge Education Center | 191 | 64.3% | 63.2% | 58.6% |
| Bunker Hill High School | 45 | 51.2% | 61.2% | 57.8% |
| North Mac Intermediate School | 214 | 56.2% | 60.2% | 54.2% |
| Southwestern Middle School | 184 | 45.9% | 58% | 52.1% |
| Northwestern Junior High School | 55 | 58.3% | 71.8% | 50.9% |
| Carlinville Intermediate School | 258 | 47.3% | 56.4% | 47.3% |
| Staunton Elementary School | 245 | 52% | 44.8% | 46.9% |
| Ben-Gil Elementary School | 234 | 56.2% | 50.4% | 45.7% |
| Staunton Junior High School | 243 | 53.1% | 42.2% | 40.4% |
| Shipman Elementary School | 159 | 49.4% | 50.6% | 40.2% |
| Medora Intermediate School | 171 | 56% | 41.6% | 38.6% |
| Carlinville Middle School | 256 | 52.9% | 55.5% | 36% |
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