South Central Reporter

More than 8 in 10 Marion County public high school students aren't at grade level in math.

That's according to a South Central Reporter analysis of 2023 test score data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

ISBE reports that last year, 81.5% of Marion County's 216 public high school students — approximately 176 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 Marion County schools, Patoka Senior High School (95.8%) had the highest failure rate in the county. Salem Community High School (78.6%) had the lowest.

No Marion County high schools had a passing rate over 50% of students.

Countywide, math test failure rates rose from 64.9% in 2021 to 81.5% in 2023.

Failure rates increased at in 2023, from % to %.

Statewide, failure rates increased the most in Wayne County, Greene County, Sangamon County, Pike County, and Pulaski County, where the percentage of students who failed the math exam rose to 74.1%, 86.4%, 95.6%, 96.7%, and 100%, respectively.

No Marion County high schools saw math scores improve between 2021 and 2023.

Statewide, 75.6% of Illinois students failed the 2023 state math exam, up from 64% in 2021.

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
Patoka Senior High School	24	66.6%	62.2%	95.8%
Odin Attendance Center 9-12	15	85.7%	100%	93.3%
Salem Community High School	177	64.4%	59.9%	78.6%