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 Rockford Sun analysis of test score data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
ISBE reports that last year, 45.1% of Winnebago County's 17,912 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.
Legacy Academy of Excellence Charter School (62.5%), Loves Park Elementary School (60.6%) and Machesney Elementary School (59.8%) had the highest failure rates in Winnebago County. Meanwhile, Thurgood Marshall School (11.8%) and Thurgood Marshall Elementary (9.7%) had the lowest.
Of 61 Winnebago County high schools, 40, including Bernard W. Flinn Middle School, Rolling Green Elementary School, and Galapagos Rockford Charter School had passing rates of more than 50%.
Countywide, English test failure rates rose from 44.5% in 2021 to 45.1% in 2023.
The failure rate rose in 35 Winnebago County high schools in 2023, with the most significant increase happening at Conklin Elementary School (53.4%).
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%).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy Academy of Excellence Charter School | 141 | 60.6% | 62.6% | 62.5% |
| Loves Park Elementary School | 190 | 59.8% | 57.9% | 60.6% |
| Machesney Elementary School | 339 | 52.9% | 54.4% | 59.8% |
| Ralston Elementary School | 187 | 52.7% | 56.9% | 58.3% |
| Clifford P. Carlson Elementary School | 163 | 50.4% | 51.5% | 57.7% |
| Jean McNair Elementary School | 267 | 50.4% | 47.7% | 57.3% |
| Barbour Two-Way Language Immersion | 427 | 46.3% | 49.1% | 56.9% |
| Rock Cut Elementary School | 267 | 50.6% | 52.3% | 54.7% |
| Riverview Elementary School | 134 | 60% | 50.9% | 54.5% |
| Eisenhower Middle School | 948 | 52.1% | 48.5% | 54.4% |
| Conklin Elementary School | 176 | 42.1% | 40.1% | 53.4% |
| Black Hawk Elementary School | 123 | 55.5% | 44.7% | 52.9% |
| Spring Creek Elementary School | 236 | 54.5% | 54.5% | 52.9% |
| Kinnikinnick School | 377 | 54.5% | 40.8% | 52.2% |
| Maple Elementary School | 175 | 50.3% | 57.6% | 52% |
| West Middle School | 803 | 49.9% | 47.2% | 51.5% |
| Swan Hillman Elementary School | 261 | 46.9% | 45.2% | 51.4% |
| Cherry Valley Elementary School | 322 | 46.5% | 46.7% | 51.2% |
| Windsor Elementary School | 209 | 53.6% | 50.8% | 51.2% |
| Maud E. Johnson Elementary School | 186 | 47.8% | 49.7% | 50.6% |
| Rockford Environmental Science Academy | 984 | 42.7% | 38.2% | 50% |
| Bernard W. Flinn Middle School | 788 | 48.3% | 50.1% | 49.9% |
| Rolling Green Elementary School | 219 | 36.9% | 38.8% | 49.8% |
| Galapagos Rockford Charter School | 231 | 44% | 50.4% | 48.9% |
| Arthur Froberg Elementary School | 206 | 51.2% | 47.7% | 48.5% |
| Durand Junior High School | 77 | 61.5% | 51.2% | 48.1% |
| West View Elementary School | 195 | 51.2% | 43% | 47.7% |
| Harlem Middle School | 906 | 51.5% | 47.9% | 46.8% |
| C. Henry Bloom Elementary School | 192 | 53.2% | 44% | 45.9% |
| Olson Park Elementary School | 248 | 49.5% | 44.4% | 45.9% |
| Pecatonica Elementary School | 122 | 53.5% | 52% | 45.9% |
| South Beloit Junior High School | 137 | 48.8% | 59.6% | 45.9% |
| Montessori Elementary School | 342 | 48.5% | 55.5% | 45.6% |
| Pecatonica Community Middle School | 272 | 42.3% | 51.6% | 45.2% |
| Marquette Elementary School | 76 | 48.3% | 43.8% | 44.7% |
| R.K. Welsh Elementary School | 210 | 32.1% | 39.4% | 44.7% |
| Winnebago Middle School | 297 | 44.8% | 44.9% | 44.7% |
| Whitehead Elementary School | 313 | 42% | 43.4% | 44.4% |
| Gregory Elementary School | 199 | 46.6% | 49.8% | 44.2% |
| Haskell Elementary School | 125 | 49.5% | 52.7% | 44% |
| Riverdahl Elementary School | 267 | 34.1% | 39.3% | 43.5% |
| Durand Elementary School | 133 | 38.8% | 39.5% | 42.9% |
| Abraham Lincoln Middle School | 657 | 44.2% | 44.5% | 42.8% |
| Brookview Elementary School | 242 | 40.2% | 45.2% | 42.2% |
| Kennedy Middle School | 339 | 31.1% | 38.9% | 41% |
| Washington Elementary School | 240 | 32.6% | 31.5% | 40.5% |
| Stone Creek School | 179 | 44.5% | 38.1% | 40.3% |
| Jackson Charter School | 107 | 41.9% | 38.3% | 39.3% |
| Julia Lathrop Elementary School | 138 | 31.3% | 38.8% | 39.1% |
| Ellis Elementary School | 204 | 20.2% | 29.1% | 38.8% |
| Whitman Post Elementary School | 505 | 50.5% | 46.7% | 36.9% |
| McIntosh Elementary School | 152 | 40.4% | 40.6% | 34.2% |
| Constance Lane Elementary School | 287 | 26.8% | 27.7% | 33.1% |
| Lewis Lemon Elementary School | 125 | 31% | 33.1% | 32.8% |
| Roscoe Middle School | 554 | 37.4% | 35.4% | 32.7% |
| Shirland Community Consolidated School | 63 | 46% | 46.3% | 31.7% |
| Stephen Mack Middle School | 524 | 42.1% | 33.1% | 29.8% |
| Willowbrook Middle School | 300 | 20.2% | 27% | 22% |
| Prairie Hill Elementary School | 166 | 30.3% | 35.9% | 18.1% |
| Thurgood Marshall School | 464 | 17.2% | 17.2% | 11.8% |
| Thurgood Marshall Elementary | 196 | 27% | 18.4% | 9.7% |
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