Pecatonica High School Principal Mr. Todd France (2023) | Pecatonica High School
Pecatonica High School Principal Mr. Todd France (2023) | Pecatonica 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, 83% of Winnebago County's 2,925 public high school students—approximately 2,427 students—failed the math 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 (97.7%), Rockford East High School (96.9%), and Durand High School (92.7%) had the highest failure rate in Winnebago County, and Pecatonica High School (63%) and Hononegah High School had the lowest (49.1%).
Out of the 10 high schools in Winnebago County, only one school had a passing rate above 50%.
Countywide, math test failure rates rose from 80.5% in the 2022-23 school year to 83% in the 2023-24 school year.
Failure rates increased at seven Winnebago County high schools in the 2023-24 school year, with the most significant increase happening at Guilford High School, where the rate jumped from 83.3% to 92.1%.
Statewide, failure rates were highest in Bureau County, Christian County, Gallatin County, Schuyler County, and Hamilton County, where the percentage of students who failed the math exam were 82.4%, 91.6%, 93.4%, 93.6%, and 95.2%, respectively.
Hononegah High School were the only Winnebago County high schools that saw math scores improve between the 2022-23 school year and the 2023-24 school year.
Data shows that 73.7% of Illinois students failed the 2023-24 school year state math exam, up from 73% 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 | Failure Rate in 2023-24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson High School | 478 | 98% | 97.7% |
| Rockford East High School | 395 | 93.9% | 96.9% |
| Durand High School | 41 | 83.7% | 92.7% |
| Guilford High School | 469 | 83.3% | 92.1% |
| Harlem High School | 429 | 85.1% | 86.7% |
| Auburn High School | 431 | 78.3% | 80.2% |
| South Beloit Senior High School | 61 | 76.6% | 77% |
| Winnebago High School | 104 | 73.8% | 75% |
| Pecatonica High School | 73 | 59% | 63% |
| Hononegah High School | 444 | 53.9% | 49.1% |
Alerts Sign-up