IAR results are in and 63.7% of LaSalle County students failed the ELA portion of the test in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
The students’ overall failure rate in the subject in LaSalle County rose by 9% compared to the previous school year.
In comparison, schools in Alexander County fared the worst among all Illinois counties, with 87.3% 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 60.7% of its students passing the ELA portion of the IAR.
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. However, data also indicates a significant achievement gap based on race and ethnicity.Â
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.
| School | Students who did not meet standards (%) | Total students tested |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Junior High School | 90.8% | 251 |
| Marseilles Elementary School | 85.1% | 289 |
| Lincoln Elementary School | 78.9% | 114 |
| Centennial Elementary School | 78.5% | 288 |
| Northlawn Junior High School | 78.1% | 594 |
| Sheridan Elementary School | 75.9% | 54 |
| Lincoln Elementary School | 74.1% | 212 |
| Ransom Grade School | 73.4% | 60 |
| Lincoln Elementary School | 72.4% | 112 |
| Northwest Elementary School | 69% | 265 |
| Northview Elementary School | 67.9% | 206 |
| Earlville Elementary School | 65.3% | 156 |
| Tonica Grade School | 62.9% | 81 |
| Shepherd Middle School | 61.3% | 362 |
| Serena Middle School | 60.8% | 189 |
| Leland Elementary School | 60.7% | 112 |
| Northbrook School | 60.6% | 434 |
| Milton Pope Elementary School | 60.4% | 121 |
| Jefferson Elementary School | 59.2% | 98 |
| Harding Grade School | 58.5% | 41 |
| Seneca Grade School North Campus | 57.6% | 104 |
| Washington Elementary School | 56.8% | 125 |
| Seneca Elementary School South Campus | 54.4% | 217 |
| Central Intermediate School | 54.3% | 318 |
| Parkside Middle School | 51.6% | 349 |
| Rutland Elementary School | 48.7% | 39 |
| Waltham Elementary School | 48.4% | 151 |
| Deer Park C.C. Elementary School | 45.8% | 24 |
| Grand Ridge School | 40.3% | 134 |
| Dimmick Community Consolidated School District 175 | 39.9% | 103 |
| McKinley Elementary School | 38.7% | 137 |
| Wallace Elementary School | 36.5% | 225 |
| Lostant Elementary School | 35.7% | 42 |
