Will County Gazette

Results are in and 55.5% of Will County students failed the ELA portion of the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) test in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

The number of students who failed their ELA assessment in Will County rose by 12.7% compared to the previous school year.

In comparison, schools in Alexander County fared the worst among all Illinois counties, with 95.7% of students failing to meet test requirements.

At the other end of the spectrum, Woodford County had the highest success rate across the state, with 59.4% of its students passing the ELA portion of the IAR.

The IAR measures how well students in grades 3-8 are progressing in meeting the English Language Arts and Mathematics standards set by the state.

According to recent IAR data, the average ELA proficiency rate for Illinois students was 35.4% in 2023, while the math proficiency rate stood at 27.1%. However, data also indicates a significant achievement gap based on race and ethnicity.

White students demonstrated higher proficiency rates in both ELA and math compared to Black and Hispanic students. The ELA proficiency rate for white students was 45.6%, around twice higher than that of Black students (17%) and Hispanic students (23.3%).

The gap was even worse in math, with white students achieving a 37% proficiency rate, nearly five times higher than Black students (7.9%) and over twice higher than Hispanic students (14.4%).

School	Students who did not meet standards (%)	Total students tested
Edna Keith Elementary School	95.2%	144
A.O. Marshall Elementary School	94%	202
Sator Sanchez Elementary School	92.3%	288
Talala Elementary School	91.8%	134
Carl Sandburg Elementary School	89.8%	167
Woodland Elementary School	88.2%	143
Lynne Thigpen Elementary School	86.5%	288
Dirksen Junior High School	86.5%	569
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School	86.1%	130
Pershing Elementary School	85.9%	278
Isaac Singleton Elementary School	85.8%	211
Balmoral Elementary School	85.2%	211
Farragut Elementary School	85%	253
Taft Elementary School	83.3%	186
M.J. Cunningham Elementary School	82.9%	241
Gompers Junior High School	82.7%	618
Chaney-Monge School	82.5%	298
Bernard J. Ward Elementary School	81.2%	171
Monee Elementary School	80.5%	205
Hufford Junior High School	80.2%	1,102
Taft Grade School	79.5%	171
Fairmont School	79.1%	172
Wood View Elementary School	78.6%	234
Steger Intermediate Center	77.5%	293
Crete Elementary School	77.1%	192
Washington Junior High and Academy Program	75.7%	758
Rockdale Elementary School	74.8%	131
Skoff Elementary School	74.3%	265
T.E. Culbertson Elementary School	74.2%	136
Haines Elementary School	73.7%	122
Laraway Elementary School	72.7%	279
Oak View Elementary School	72.6%	332
Grand Prairie Elementary School	72.5%	284
Columbia Central School	72.2%	605
Crete-Monee Middle School	71.1%	948
Lakewood Falls Elementary School	71%	252
Coretta Scott King Magnet School	70.8%	120
Wesmere Elementary School	70.2%	299
Pioneer Elementary School	70%	263
Jonas E. Salk Elementary School	69.9%	213
Jamie McGee Elementary School	69.7%	204
Beecher Junior High School	69.6%	247
Meadow View Elementary School	69.5%	279
Orenic Intermediate School	69.3%	825
John R. Tibbott Elementary School	68.9%	164
Independence Elementary School	68.6%	312
Peotone Intermediate Center	68.3%	183
Peotone Elementary School	68%	75
Goodings Grove School	66.4%	208
Beecher Elementary School	65.6%	233
Crystal Lawns Elementary School	65.4%	159
Drauden Point Middle School	65.1%	667
Forest Park Individual Education School	65%	140
Troy Heritage Trail School	64.9%	154
Kenneth L. Hermansen Elementary School	64.2%	218
Timber Ridge Middle School	64.2%	847
Oster-Oakview School	64%	347
Troy Cronin Elementary School	63.3%	161
Peotone Junior High School	63.1%	293
Troy Craughwell School	62.9%	186
Robert C. Hill Elementary School	62.7%	290
River View Elementary School	62%	279
William J. Butler School	62%	229
Troy Shorewood School	61.6%	156
Indian Trail Middle School	61.4%	583
Ridge Elementary School	60.7%	259
Creekside Elementary School	60.1%	273
Reed-Custer Elementary School	59.8%	288
Mokena Elementary School	59.2%	174
Walnut Trails Elementary School	58.9%	231
Irene King Elementary School	58.8%	277
Troy Middle School	58%	890
A. Vito Martinez Middle School	57.6%	626
Pioneer Path School	56.7%	252
Mokena Intermediate School	56.6%	323
L.J. Stevens Intermediate School	56.4%	245
Ludwig Elementary School	55.9%	281
Luther J. Schilling School	55.9%	186
Spencer Pointe School	55.9%	170
Central Elementary School	55.5%	278
Brooks Middle School	55.2%	928
Arlene Welch Elementary School	55.1%	312
Hubert H. Humphrey Middle School	55%	669
Hadley Middle School	55%	825
Richland Elementary School	54.4%	523
The Wheatlands Elementary School	54.1%	277
Reed Elementary School	54%	150
Dr. Julian Rogus School	53.8%	171
Arnold J. Tyler School	53.5%	129
Spencer Crossing Intermediate School	52.6%	503
Liberty Elementary School	52.3%	279
William E. Young School	52.1%	163
Arbury Hills Elementary School	50.7%	77
Alex M. Martino Junior High School	49.9%	570
Liberty Junior High School	49.8%	562
Kelvin Grove Junior High School	49.5%	281
John F. Kennedy Middle School	49.4%	889
Elizabeth Eichelberger Elementary School	49.3%	286
Elwood C.C. School	49.1%	179
Wayne Builta Elementary School	48.2%	168
Nelson Ridge School	48.2%	468
Reed-Custer Middle School	47.8%	274
Walker Intermediate School	47.4%	542
Three Rivers School	47%	268
Manhattan Junior High School	46.7%	564
Eagle Pointe Elementary School	46.2%	316
Nelson Prairie School	46.1%	139
Anna McDonald Elementary School	44.7%	575
Troy Hofer Elementary School	44.5%	162
Summit Hill Junior High School	43.8%	625
Bednarcik Junior High School	43.8%	560
Homestead Elementary School	43.5%	253
Freedom Elementary School	43.5%	287
Homer Junior High School	42.9%	815
Frankfort Square Elementary School	41.9%	98
Wolf's Crossing Elementary School	41.2%	216
Clifford Crone Middle School	41.1%	846
John J. Lukancic Middle School	40%	597
Lincoln Elementary School	39.6%	263
Heritage Grove Middle School	39.3%	869
Bentley Elementary School	39.2%	368
Fry Elementary School	39.1%	323
Richard Ira Jones Middle School	38.9%	831
Danielle-Joy Peterson Elementary School	38%	344
Oak Prairie Junior High School	37.9%	445
V. Blanche Graham Elementary School	37.4%	147
Indian Trail Elementary School	36.9%	171
Walker's Grove Elementary School	36.1%	318
Scullen Middle School	35.7%	907
Mokena Junior High School	34.3%	493
Gordon Gregory Middle School	34.2%	810
Milne Grove Elementary School	33.9%	59
Patterson Elementary School	33.6%	235
Oliver Julian Kendall Elementary School	33.6%	289
Spring Brook Elementary School	33.5%	317
Jane Addams Middle School	33.2%	582
Union Elementary School	32.9%	64
Wilmington Middle School	30.4%	289
Kingsley Elementary School	29.4%	208
Channahon Junior High School	27.6%	271
Robert Clow Elementary School	26.3%	178
Chelsea Elementary School	26%	881
River Woods Elementary School	24.2%	240
Eisenhower Academy	21.8%	137
Hickory Creek Middle School	9.9%	907