IAR results are in and 77.9% of Union County students failed the mathematics portion of the test in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
The students’ overall failure rate in the subject in Union County rose by 9.9% compared to the previous school year.
In comparison, schools in Alexander County fared the worst among all Illinois counties, with 97.1% of students failing to meet test requirements.
At the other end of the spectrum, Monroe County had the highest success rate across the state, with 50% of its students passing the mathematics portion of the IAR.
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) measures how well students in grades 3-8 are progressing toward state standards in English language arts and mathematics.
Recent IAR data shows that while Illinois students improved slightly in the test, math performance remains below pre-pandemic levels. In 2024, 28.4% of students met math benchmarks, compared to 31.8% in 2019. However, data also indicates a significant achievement gap based on race and ethnicity.Â
The disparities were even more pronounced in math. White students achieved a proficiency rate of 38.7%, while Black students achieved 9.1% and Hispanic students 15.6%. Asian students achieved the highest proficiency rates in both subjects, hitting 68.2% in ELA and 61.4% in math.
| School | Students who did not meet standards (%) | Total students tested |
|---|---|---|
| Shawnee Elementary School | 100% | 59 |
| Dongola Junior High School | 95.2% | 42 |
| Shawnee Junior High School | 91.4% | 70 |
| Dongola Elementary School | 87.3% | 55 |
| Anna Junior High School | 82.3% | 248 |
| Cobden Elementary School | 81% | 95 |
| Cobden Junior High School | 80.9% | 89 |
| Lick Creek Elementary School | 80.1% | 75 |
| Davie Elementary School | 69.9% | 123 |
| Jonesboro Elementary School | 54.8% | 186 |
