In school districts reported on by East Central Reporter, passing grades in English and math studies fell across the board. Results for the three largest districts in the East Central Reporter coverage area that saw decreases are below, with further details about each school district found in the table below.
In Mattoon Community Unit School District 2, the results fell the furthest among students studying English. In 2019, 63.7 percent of students failed English. The latest district results showed 76.2 percent of Mattoon Community Unit School District 2 students failed English in 2021.
Students in Charleston Community Unit School District 1 fared the worst in English, with the number of students who failed rising from 73.1 percent in 2019 to 79.8 percent in 2021.
Effingham Community Unit School District 40 saw failing rates rise the most in English, from 69.2 percent in 2019 to 73.9 percent in 2021.
Illinois students are rated on a proficiency scale, rather than a zero to 100 system. Students who did not meet, partially met, or approached their proficiency goals are considered to have failed.
The COVID-19 had “devastating” impacts on student learning, according to a report from the Brookings Institute.
“These numbers are alarming and potentially demoralizing, especially given the heroic efforts of students to learn and educators to teach in incredibly trying times,” the report said. “There is much work to be done, and the challenges for students, educators, and parents are considerable.”
A report from Illinois Policy found while all students were affected by the pandemic, low-income and minority students saw the biggest losses in their proficiency scores.
“Among low-income high school juniors in 2021, under 16 percent scored at proficiency level in reading and fewer than 13 percent were proficient in math. This represents a nearly 15 percent and 25 percent overall proficiency decline since 2019 in each subject. Comparatively, proficiency scores in reading and math for higher-income juniors dropped around 11 percent and 16 percent, respectively.
“By the end of the 2021 school year, higher-income juniors were almost three times more likely to be proficient than low-income students.”
There are many lingering effects of students learning less due to disruptions caused by COVID-19. A McKinsey report found K-12 students were “on average five months behind in mathematics and four months behind in reading by the end of school year.”
The switch to remote learning, where students would attend classes virtually using their laptops instead of being in the classroom, was often pinpointed in reports as the biggest reason for diminishing student proficiency.
Classrooms across the U.S. moved to remote learning when the pandemic began in early 2020. However, an Inside Higher Ed investigation found it was never designed to be the long-term solution it became.
“Students talked a lot about really missing being in person with their classmates…and having those spontaneous, organic conversations and relationships,” Rayane Alamuddin of Ithaka S+R consulting said. “They miss the relationships they make in school because not only does it make them excited about learning and motivate them to stay engaged in school, but they also actually learn a lot more.”
Many school districts have returned to in-class learning, though still with some COVID-19 precautions in place.
| District | 2019 Math Failing Rates | 2021 Math Failing Rates | 2019 English Failing Rates | 2021 English Failing Rates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altamont Community Unit School District 10 | 79.1% | 75% | 69.2% | 68% |
| Arcola Consolidated Unit School District 306 | 72.4% | 83.6% | 74% | 84.9% |
| Arthur Community Unit School District 305 | 76.7% | 76.7% | 68.7% | 63.9% |
| Beecher City Community Unit School District 20 | 47.6% | 60.8% | 63.7% | 68.8% |
| Casey Westfield Community Unit School District 4C | 67.2% | 81.2% | 55.5% | 67% |
| Central A & M Community Unit School District 21 | 82.9% | 86.6% | 73.6% | 81.3% |
| Charleston Community Unit School District 1 | 82.3% | 86.6% | 73.1% | 79.8% |
| Clay City Community Unit School District 10 | 83.7% | 91% | 81.5% | 81.4% |
| Cowden-Herrick Community Unit School District 3A | 84.1% | 74.9% | 76% | 76.3% |
| Cumberland Community Unit School District 77 | 74.8% | 81.8% | 69.6% | 81.5% |
| Dieterich Community Unit School District 30 | 46.1% | 59.4% | 36.6% | 52.4% |
| East Richland Community Unit School District 1 | 69.3% | 76% | 67.9% | 71.2% |
| Edgar County Community Unit School District 6 | 80% | 81.9% | 57.9% | 71.9% |
| Effingham Community Unit School District 40 | 78.9% | 82.6% | 69.2% | 73.9% |
| Flora Community Unit School District 35 | 78.2% | 82.5% | 59.9% | 60.2% |
| Hutsonville Community Unit School District 1 | 81.1% | 70.8% | 44.2% | 65% |
| Jasper County Community Unit School District 1 | 58.9% | 69.4% | 61.6% | 67.8% |
| Kansas Community Unit School District 3 | 85.9% | 82.1% | 78.2% | 70.5% |
| Lawrence County Community Unit School District 20 | 81.6% | 89% | 66.9% | 74.3% |
| Marshall Community Unit School District 2C | 68.7% | 69% | 64.2% | 66.9% |
| Martinsville Community Unit School District 3C | 83.9% | 83.2% | 85% | 78.9% |
| Mattoon Community Unit School District 2 | 80% | 87.9% | 63.7% | 76.2% |
| Neoga Community Unit School District 3 | 80.7% | 88% | 69.5% | 80.9% |
| North Clay Community Unit School District 25 | 81.9% | 90.4% | 80.4% | 88.2% |
| Oakland Community Unit School District 5 | 80.1% | 83.9% | 83.7% | 77.8% |
| Oblong Community Unit School District 4 | 85% | 91.8% | 59.8% | 74.5% |
| Palestine Community Unit School District 3 | 91.3% | 93.2% | 82.8% | 93.9% |
| Paris Community Unit School District 4 | 67.9% | 67% | 50.3% | 59.3% |
| Paris-Union School District 95 | 70.9% | 73.1% | 49.8% | 55.2% |
| Red Hill Community Unit School District 10 | 72.1% | 81.2% | 52.5% | 58.9% |
| Robinson Community Unit School District 2 | 70.7% | 79.7% | 50.1% | 61.8% |
| Shelbyville Community Unit School District 4 | 66.1% | 73.1% | 45.4% | 55.3% |
| Shiloh Community Unit School District 1 | 90.2% | 93.1% | 87.4% | 87.8% |
| Stewardson-Strasburg Community Unit School District 5A | 70.2% | 67.8% | 60.7% | 52.2% |
| Teutopolis Community Unit School District 50 | 34.6% | 39.6% | 32.4% | 36.9% |
| Tuscola Community Unit School District 301 | 79.5% | 85.3% | 52.4% | 71.8% |
| Villa Grove Community Unit School District 302 | 77.3% | 85.3% | 68.3% | 80% |
| Windsor Community Unit School District 1 | 74.8% | 81.8% | 70.1% | 80.3% |
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