Durand High School Principal Mr. Matthew Klett (2023) | Durand High School
Durand High School Principal Mr. Matthew Klett (2023) | Durand High School
That's according to an analysis from Rockford Sun of test scores compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
ISBE reports that in the 2023-24 school year, 78.2% of Winnebago County's 2,928 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.
Jefferson High School (94.4%), Durand High School (90.3%) and Rockford East High School (89.3%) had the highest failure rates in Winnebago County in the 2023-24 school year. Meanwhile, Winnebago High School (67.3%) and Hononegah High School (52.4%) had the lowest.
Countywide, English test failure rates rose from 73.5% in the 2022-23 school year to 78.2% in the 2023-24 school year.
The failure rate rose in eight Winnebago County high schools in the 2023-24 school year, with the most significant increase happening at Pecatonica High School, where the failure rate rose by 14.3%, reaching 68.5% overall.
Data shows that the largest growth in failure rates occurred in Vermilion County, which increased by 20.8% to 89.7%; Clark County, which grew by 22% to 89.3%; Kendall County, which increased by 24.1% to 89.4%; Fayette County, which grew by 24.6% to 91.2%; and Shelby County, which increased by 27.3% to 92.3%.
Jefferson High School and South Beloit Senior High School were the Winnebago County high schools to see improvements between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years.
Statewide, 67.7% of Illinois students failed the 2023-24 school year state English exam, down from 68.4% in the 2022-23 school year.
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 | Student Count | Failure Rate in 2022-23 School Year | Failure Rate in 2023-24 School Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson High School | 480 | 94.6% | 94.4% |
| Durand High School | 41 | 81.7% | 90.3% |
| Rockford East High School | 395 | 88.5% | 89.3% |
| Guilford High School | 469 | 73.9% | 80.6% |
| Harlem High School | 430 | 77% | 79.5% |
| Auburn High School | 431 | 70.9% | 75.8% |
| South Beloit Senior High School | 61 | 78.7% | 75.4% |
| Pecatonica High School | 73 | 54.2% | 68.5% |
| Winnebago High School | 104 | 62.6% | 67.3% |
| Hononegah High School | 444 | 44.7% | 52.4% |
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