Test results show 51.4% of Will County students passed the ELA portion of the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
The number of Will County students who succeeded rose by 15.6% compared to the previous school year.
Woodford County had the highest success rate across the state, with 60.7% of its students passing the ELA portion of the IAR. Schools in Alexander County, on the other hand, performed the worst, with 87.3% of students failing to meet test requirements.
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) measures how well students in grades 3-8 are progressing toward state standards in English language arts and mathematics.
Recent IAR data shows that while Illinois students improved slightly in the test, math performance remains below pre-pandemic levels. In 2024, 28.4% of students met math benchmarks, compared to 31.8% in 2019.Â
However, data also indicates a significant achievement gap based on race and ethnicity. The disparities were even more pronounced in math. White students achieved a proficiency rate of 38.7%, while Black students achieved 9.1% and Hispanic students 15.6%. Asian students achieved the highest proficiency rates in both subjects, hitting 68.2% in ELA and 61.4% in math.
Illinois allocated $8.6 billion to K-12 education in its 2025 budget—a $350 million increase over FY 2024, meeting the minimum required under the state’s school funding formula.
Will County Schools Students who Met or Exceeded Academic Standards in ELA Compared to Previous Years
| School | Students who met standards (%) | Students who exceed standards (%) | Total enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eisenhower Academy | 70.4% | 9.6% | 227 |
| Mokena Junior High School | 62.4% | 14.1% | 503 |
| Robert Clow Elementary School | 61.7% | 9.4% | 346 |
| V. Blanche Graham Elementary School | 61.1% | 17.3% | 308 |
| Three Rivers School | 58.9% | 6.8% | 260 |
| Bentley Elementary School | 58.5% | 13% | 375 |
| Fry Elementary School | 58.1% | 13.8% | 565 |
| Chelsea Elementary School | 57.8% | 15.7% | 882 |
| Kingsley Elementary School | 57.7% | 11.7% | 410 |
| Spring Brook Elementary School | 57.6% | 7.3% | 554 |
| Gordon Gregory Middle School | 56.9% | 23.4% | 823 |
| Manhattan Junior High School | 56.9% | 11.8% | 592 |
| Heritage Grove Middle School | 56.7% | 14.5% | 844 |
| Scullen Middle School | 55.3% | 24.9% | 961 |
| Indian Trail Elementary School | 54.6% | 15.3% | 299 |
| Hadley Middle School | 54.3% | 10.3% | 864 |
| Eagle Pointe Elementary School | 54.2% | 6.7% | 590 |
| Nelson Prairie School | 54.2% | 7.6% | 376 |
| Freedom Elementary School | 53.8% | 10.5% | 533 |
| Richard Ira Jones Middle School | 53.5% | 10.2% | 863 |
| Channahon Junior High School | 53.5% | 18.4% | 260 |
| Oliver Julian Kendall Elementary School | 53.3% | 14.8% | 582 |
| Ludwig Elementary School | 53.3% | 8.2% | 314 |
| Clifford Crone Middle School | 53.1% | 22.5% | 882 |
| Summit Hill Junior High School | 52.8% | 11.4% | 602 |
| River Woods Elementary School | 52.3% | 18.7% | 469 |
| Patterson Elementary School | 52% | 13.8% | 484 |
| Walker’s Grove Elementary School | 51.9% | 16.5% | 612 |
| Oak Prairie Junior High School | 51.8% | 29.7% | 451 |
| Bednarcik Junior High School | 51.7% | 12.8% | 531 |
| Lincoln Elementary School | 51.7% | 10.9% | 567 |
| Reed-Custer Middle School | 51.1% | 11.6% | 273 |
| Frankfort Square Elementary School | 51.1% | 10.6% | 160 |
| Milne Grove Elementary School | 51% | 5.9% | 228 |
| Danielle-Joy Peterson Elementary School | 51% | 13.1% | 567 |
| Dr. Julian Rogus School | 50.7% | 2.1% | 613 |
| Homer Junior High School | 50.6% | 28.6% | 795 |
| Anna McDonald Elementary School | 50.5% | 6.7% | 585 |
| Nelson Ridge School | 50.2% | 7.3% | 449 |
| Beecher Elementary School | 50% | 6% | 438 |
| John F. Kennedy Middle School | 49.8% | 9.7% | 927 |
| Wayne Builta Elementary School | 49.7% | 11.2% | 326 |
| Walker Intermediate School | 48.9% | 5.3% | 519 |
| Liberty Junior High School | 48.7% | 14% | 584 |
| Union Elementary School | 48.6% | 12.2% | 122 |
| Reed Elementary School | 48.3% | 6.7% | 305 |
| Alex M. Martino Junior High School | 47.7% | 8.1% | 564 |
| Arbury Hills Elementary School | 47.6% | 3.6% | 176 |
| Wolf’s Crossing Elementary School | 47.1% | 9% | 451 |
| Mokena Elementary School | 46.6% | 4.6% | 715 |
| Kelvin Grove Junior High School | 46.6% | 15.4% | 289 |
| Elwood C.C. School | 46.4% | 2.2% | 270 |
| William J. Butler School | 45.6% | 2.1% | 563 |
| John J. Lukancic Middle School | 45.4% | 18% | 560 |
| Luther J. Schilling School | 45% | 5.5% | 602 |
| Troy Craughwell School | 44.5% | 4% | 444 |
| A. Vito Martinez Middle School | 44.4% | 15% | 646 |
| Wilmington Middle School | 44% | 25.9% | 262 |
| Spencer Crossing Intermediate School | 44% | 3.4% | 533 |
| Indian Trail Middle School | 43.9% | 8.5% | 526 |
| Arnold J. Tyler School | 43.9% | 2.6% | 377 |
| Beecher Junior High School | 43.6% | 6.2% | 258 |
| Richland Elementary School | 43.6% | 4.8% | 813 |
| Peotone Junior High School | 43.5% | 12.6% | 297 |
| Homestead Elementary School | 43.4% | 10.5% | 470 |
| Hickory Creek Middle School | 43.1% | 48.3% | 945 |
| Arlene Welch Elementary School | 43.1% | 7.2% | 594 |
| Pioneer Path School | 42.9% | 4.5% | 247 |
| Troy Middle School | 42.9% | 9.5% | 867 |
| Drauden Point Middle School | 42.4% | 8.6% | 673 |
| L.J. Stevens Intermediate School | 41.9% | 3.1% | 350 |
| Elizabeth Eichelberger Elementary School | 41.9% | 10.5% | 563 |
| Peotone Elementary School | 41.9% | 0% | 300 |
| Reed-Custer Elementary School | 41.8% | 4.4% | 671 |
| Forest Park Individual Education School | 41.6% | 0% | 267 |
| Mokena Intermediate School | 41.6% | 7.2% | 338 |
| Jane Addams Middle School | 41.4% | 24.1% | 532 |
| Central Elementary School | 41.1% | 4.5% | 519 |
| Liberty Elementary School | 40.9% | 7.2% | 539 |
| Ridge Elementary School | 40.8% | 3.1% | 482 |
| Orenic Intermediate School | 40.7% | 5.9% | 798 |
| Peotone Intermediate Center | 40.5% | 0.6% | 155 |
| Walnut Trails Elementary School | 40.4% | 5.4% | 514 |
| Oster-Oakview School | 40.3% | 5.4% | 374 |
| Troy Hofer Elementary School | 39.4% | 12.5% | 414 |
| River View Elementary School | 39.4% | 6.1% | 619 |
| Troy Shorewood School | 39% | 5% | 326 |
| Hubert H. Humphrey Middle School | 38.8% | 12.2% | 537 |
| The Wheatlands Elementary School | 38.6% | 6.4% | 557 |
| Irene King Elementary School | 38.1% | 4.2% | 410 |
| Columbia Central School | 38.1% | 10.9% | 581 |
| Timber Ridge Middle School | 38% | 5.6% | 823 |
| Meadow View Elementary School | 36.3% | 2.4% | 545 |
| Robert C. Hill Elementary School | 36% | 4.3% | 605 |
| Coretta Scott King Magnet School | 34.9% | 2.3% | 264 |
| John R. Tibbott Elementary School | 34.7% | 2.4% | 474 |
| Lakewood Falls Elementary School | 34.4% | 0.8% | 528 |
| Laraway Elementary School | 34.3% | 4.3% | 452 |
| Creekside Elementary School | 33.6% | 1.6% | 478 |
| Skoff Elementary School | 33.5% | 4.6% | 692 |
| Brooks Middle School | 33% | 13.1% | 967 |
| Kenneth L. Hermansen Elementary School | 32.6% | 1.4% | 394 |
| Jonas E. Salk Elementary School | 32% | 3% | 471 |
| Haines Elementary School | 31.8% | 0.9% | 340 |
| Spencer Pointe School | 31.6% | 1.9% | 461 |
| Jamie McGee Elementary School | 30.3% | 3.2% | 390 |
| Troy Cronin Elementary School | 29.7% | 8.9% | 648 |
| Wood View Elementary School | 29.2% | 2.3% | 345 |
| Gompers Junior High School | 29.1% | 2.6% | 695 |
| Dirksen Junior High School | 28.4% | 2% | 554 |
| Oak View Elementary School | 27.9% | 1.3% | 572 |
| Chaney-Monge School | 27.8% | 0.7% | 401 |
| Crete-Monee Middle School | 27.5% | 3.1% | 969 |
| Pioneer Elementary School | 27.3% | 2.3% | 607 |
| Troy Heritage Trail School | 27.3% | 6% | 410 |
| Fairmont School | 26.5% | 1.8% | 283 |
| Hufford Junior High School | 26.2% | 3.3% | 1,101 |
| Crete Elementary School | 25.9% | 2% | 381 |
| Taft Grade School | 25.9% | 0% | 254 |
| Grand Prairie Elementary School | 25.7% | 2.2% | 535 |
| Bernard J. Ward Elementary School | 25.4% | 0% | 346 |
| Independence Elementary School | 25% | 3.6% | 593 |
| Crystal Lawns Elementary School | 24.8% | 5.6% | 302 |
| Monee Elementary School | 24.3% | 1% | 372 |
| Rockdale Elementary School | 24.3% | 2.8% | 240 |
| Wesmere Elementary School | 23.3% | 3% | 544 |
| T.E. Culbertson Elementary School | 22% | 0.5% | 212 |
| Thomas Jefferson Elementary School | 20.2% | 0.8% | 445 |
| Balmoral Elementary School | 20% | 0% | 449 |
| Steger Intermediate Center | 19.1% | 2.5% | 480 |
| Washington Junior High and Academy Program | 18.8% | 2.1% | 685 |
| Taft Elementary School | 18.5% | 0.5% | 332 |
| Isaac Singleton Elementary School | 18.2% | 0.7% | 454 |
| A.O. Marshall Elementary School | 14.7% | 0% | 211 |
| Farragut Elementary School | 14.6% | 0.4% | 511 |
| Lynne Thigpen Elementary School | 13.9% | 0% | 610 |
| Pershing Elementary School | 12.8% | 0.3% | 478 |
| M.J. Cunningham Elementary School | 12.4% | 1.2% | 513 |
| Woodland Elementary School | 11.7% | 0.5% | 348 |
| Talala Elementary School | 8.3% | 0.7% | 277 |
| Sator Sanchez Elementary School | 7.7% | 0% | 710 |
| Edna Keith Elementary School | 7.2% | 0% | 357 |
| Carl Sandburg Elementary School | 5.3% | 0.8% | 287 |
Information in this story was obtained from the Illinois State Board of Education. The source data can be found here.
