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 Southern Illinois News analysis of test score data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
ISBE reports that last year, 45.5% of Massac County's 862 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.
Metropolis Elementary School (57.9%), Joppa Junior & Senior High School (51.4%) and Brookport Elementary School (50.7%) had the highest failure rates in Massac County. Meanwhile, Unity Elementary School (34.2%) and Jefferson Elementary School (31.9%) had the lowest.
Of eight Massac County high schools, five, including Maple Grove Elementary School, Massac Junior High School, and Franklin Elementary School had passing rates of more than 50%.
Countywide, English test failure rates fell from 54.3% in 2021 to 45.5% in 2023.
The failure rate rose in three Massac County high schools in 2023, with the most significant increase happening at Franklin Elementary School (36.5%).
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%).
Maple Grove Elementary School, Unity Elementary School, and Jefferson Elementary School were the Massac 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolis Elementary School | 228 | 54.1% | 56% | 57.9% |
| Joppa Junior & Senior High School | 35 | 68.7% | 71.5% | 51.4% |
| Brookport Elementary School | 75 | 61.6% | 49.3% | 50.7% |
| Maple Grove Elementary School | 58 | 59.1% | 51.4% | 46.5% |
| Massac Junior High School | 241 | 47% | 49.8% | 41.5% |
| Franklin Elementary School | 74 | 48.8% | 28.8% | 36.5% |
| Unity Elementary School | 79 | 66.6% | 54.5% | 34.2% |
| Jefferson Elementary School | 72 | 55% | 44.8% | 31.9% |
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