IL Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders (2023) | Illinois State Board of education
IL Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders (2023) | Illinois State Board of education
That's according to a East Central Reporter analysis of test score data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
ISBE reports that last year, 44.1% of Clay County's 907 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.
Clay City Junior High School (66.2%) had the highest failure rates in Clay County. Meanwhile, Floyd Henson Junior High School (30.4%) had the lowest.
Countywide, English test failure rates fell from 51.8% in 2021 to 44.1% in 2023.
The failure rate rose in two Clay County high schools in 2023, with the most significant increase happening at Clay City Junior High School (66.2%).
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%).
Flora Elementary School and Floyd Henson Junior High School were the Clay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay City Junior High School | 62 | 62.5% | 58% | 66.2% |
| Clay City Elementary School | 50 | 44.2% | 53% | 60% |
| North Clay Elementary/Junior High School | 221 | 61.4% | 62.2% | 58.4% |
| Flora Elementary School | 292 | 47.6% | 40.8% | 39.1% |
| Floyd Henson Junior High School | 282 | 48.1% | 37.7% | 30.4% |
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