IL Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders (2023) | Institute of Education Sciences
IL Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders (2023) | Institute of Education Sciences
That's according to a Carbondale Reporter analysis of test score data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
ISBE reports that last year, 47.8% of Jackson County's 2,772 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.
Murphysboro Middle School (60.4%), Carruthers Elementary School (55.7%) and Elverado Intermediate School (53.8%) had the highest failure rates in Jackson County. Meanwhile, Thomas Elementary School (31.8%) and Elverado Junior High School (20.6%) had the lowest.
Of 12 Jackson County high schools, six, including Trico Elementary School, Carbondale Middle School, and Giant City Elementary School had passing rates of more than 50%.
Countywide, English test failure rates fell from 49% in 2021 to 47.8% in 2023.
The failure rate rose in four Jackson County high schools in 2023, with the most significant increase happening at Lewis School (50%).
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%).
DeSoto Elementary School, Carbondale Middle School, Unity Point Elementary School, and Elverado Junior High School were the Jackson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murphysboro Middle School | 429 | 53.9% | 59.8% | 60.4% |
| Carruthers Elementary School | 402 | 55.8% | 52.9% | 55.7% |
| Elverado Intermediate School | 78 | 50.8% | 58.4% | 53.8% |
| DeSoto Elementary School | 98 | 61.1% | 55.5% | 52% |
| Trico Junior High School | 164 | 49.8% | 61.2% | 50.6% |
| Lewis School | 284 | 39% | 44.4% | 50% |
| Trico Elementary School | 182 | 55.4% | 57.7% | 45.6% |
| Carbondale Middle School | 416 | 49% | 47.1% | 44.7% |
| Giant City Elementary School | 138 | 32% | 39.7% | 39.9% |
| Unity Point Elementary School | 354 | 51.5% | 41.2% | 38.2% |
| Thomas Elementary School | 154 | 28.3% | 40.1% | 31.8% |
| Elverado Junior High School | 73 | 38.4% | 30.8% | 20.6% |
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