That's according to a Rockford Sun analysis of 2022 test score data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
ISBE reports that last year, 74.5 percent of Winnebago County's 2,348 public high school students failed the English language arts 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.
Jefferson High School (93.9 percent), Rockford East High School (92.6 percent) and South Beloit Senior High School (82.5 percent) had the highest failure rates in Winnebago County. Pecatonica High School (49.1 percent) and Hononegah High School (48.3 percent) had the lowest.
Of 10 Winnebago County high schools, only two -- Pecatonica High School, Hononegah High School had passing rates of more than 50 percent.
County-wide, English test failure rates rose from 69.6 percent in 2019 to 74.5 percent in 2022.
The failure rate increased at nine Winnebago County high schools in 2022, with the most significant increase happening at Guilford High School (79.3 percent).
Failure rates rose the most at Cook County (100 percent), Marion County (100 percent), Peoria County (100 percent), Scott County (100 percent), Tazewell County (100 percent).
Statewide, 69.1 percent of Illinois students failed the 2022 state English exam, up from 64 percent 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 2019 | Failing % in 2021 | Failing % in 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson High School | 345 | 82.7% | 90.4% | 93.9% |
| Rockford East High School | 297 | 83% | 86% | 92.6% |
| South Beloit Senior High School | 40 | 83% | 79.3% | 82.5% |
| Guilford High School | 367 | 75.9% | 69.7% | 79.3% |
| Harlem High School | 365 | 72.2% | 76.2% | 78.1% |
| Auburn High School | 289 | 66.8% | 65.7% | 69.6% |
| Winnebago High School | 102 | 65.2% | 63.5% | 68.6% |
| Durand High School | 41 | 56.5% | 59% | 68.3% |
| Pecatonica High School | 55 | 46% | 49.1% | 49.1% |
| Hononegah High School | 447 | 45.9% | 46.4% | 48.3% |
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