East Central Reporter

In the 2022-23 school year, 67.9% of the students in Cowden-Herrick Community Unit School District 3A passed the ELA portion of the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Of the 140 students in Cowden-Herrick Community Unit School District 3A who took the ELA portion of the test, approximately 95 (67.9%) passed.

The percentage of Cowden-Herrick Community Unit School District 3A students who met or exceeded expectations on the IAR increased by 4.9% compared to the previous school year.

Cowden-Herrick Community Unit School District 3A roughly covers two schools within Shelby County and has a main office in Cowden.

The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) assesses the progress of students in grades 3-8 in meeting the Illinois Learning Standards in English language arts and mathematics.

According to the 2024 Illinois Report Card, math proficiency among Illinois students in grades 3-8 remains below pre-pandemic levels, while reading performance has recovered. Meanwhile, 11th graders have experienced significant declines in both subjects, falling below pre-pandemic benchmarks.

School	District	Students who met standards (%)	Students who exceed standards (%)
Cowden-Herrick Grade School	Cowden-Herrick Community Unit School District 3A	55.7%	8.6%
Cowden-Herrick Junior/Senior High School	Cowden-Herrick Community Unit School District 3A	50%	21.4%