In the 2023-24 school year, 34.1% of the students in Pope County Community Unit School District 1 passed the ELA portion of the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
Of the 188 students in Pope County Community Unit School District 1 who took the ELA portion of the test, approximately 64 (34.1%) passed.
The percentage of Pope County Community Unit School District 1 students who met or exceeded expectations on the IAR decreased by 2.6% compared to the previous school year.
Pope County Community Unit School District 1 roughly covers two schools within Pope County and has a main office in Golconda.
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 | District | Students who met standards (%) | Students who exceed standards (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pope County Elementary School | Pope County Community Unit School District 1 | 30.9% | 3.2% |
