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 Galesburg Reporter analysis of test score data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
ISBE reports that last year, 51.7% of Knox County's 1,918 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.
Williamsfield Middle School (64.2%), Knoxville Junior High School (58.8%) and Lombard Middle School (57.4%) had the highest failure rates in Knox County. Meanwhile, Hedding Grade School (43.1%) and Williamsfield Elementary School (38.4%) had the lowest.
Of 11 Knox County high schools, seven, including ROWVA Elementary School, Steele School, and Silas Willard Elementary School had passing rates of more than 50%.
Countywide, English test failure rates rose from 50.8% in 2021 to 51.7% in 2023.
The failure rate rose in eight Knox County high schools in 2023, with the most significant increase happening at Williamsfield Middle School (64.2%).
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%).
Mable Woolsey Elementary School was the only Knox 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williamsfield Middle School | 70 | 44.2% | 44.5% | 64.2% |
| Knoxville Junior High School | 233 | 58.5% | 53.6% | 58.8% |
| Lombard Middle School | 502 | 54.9% | 57.1% | 57.4% |
| King Elementary School | 208 | 43.3% | 37.8% | 53.4% |
| ROWVA Elementary School | 155 | 51.6% | 47.1% | 49% |
| Steele School | 169 | 40.4% | 44.4% | 48% |
| Silas Willard Elementary School | 154 | 45.8% | 44.5% | 44.8% |
| Mable Woolsey Elementary School | 130 | 50.8% | 45.6% | 44.7% |
| ROWVA Junior/Senior High School | 77 | 51.8% | 35.2% | 44.2% |
| Hedding Grade School | 181 | 51.8% | 52% | 43.1% |
| Williamsfield Elementary School | 39 | 46.7% | 51.6% | 38.4% |
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