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 SE Illinois News analysis of test score data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
ISBE reports that last year, 44.7% of Wayne County's 1,017 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.
Cisne Middle School (67%), Geff Elementary School (49.2%) and Johnsonville Elementary School (48.1%) had the highest failure rates in Wayne County. Meanwhile, Jasper Elementary School (37.7%) and New Hope Elementary School (36.2%) had the lowest.
Of nine Wayne County high schools, eight, including Geff Elementary School, Johnsonville Elementary School, and Center Street Elementary School had passing rates of more than 50%.
Countywide, English test failure rates fell from 49.3% in 2021 to 44.7% in 2023.
The failure rate rose in two Wayne County high schools in 2023, with the most significant increase happening at Cisne Middle School (67%).
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%).
Center Street Elementary School, Wayne City Attendance Center, and Mount Erie Elementary School were the Wayne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cisne Middle School | 103 | 64.4% | 61% | 67% |
| Geff Elementary School | 57 | 49% | 50% | 49.2% |
| Johnsonville Elementary School | 27 | 42.9% | 62.1% | 48.1% |
| Center Street Elementary School | 288 | 52.4% | 51.6% | 44.8% |
| Wayne City Attendance Center | 213 | 49.5% | 43.6% | 42.7% |
| North Side Elementary School | 68 | 40% | 41.3% | 41.2% |
| Mount Erie Elementary School | 20 | 50% | 46.2% | 40% |
| Jasper Elementary School | 114 | 42.9% | 53% | 37.7% |
| New Hope Elementary School | 127 | 37.2% | 34.5% | 36.2% |
Alerts Sign-up