IAR results are in and 70% of Grundy County students failed the mathematics 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 Grundy County rose by 1.5% compared to the previous school year.
In comparison, schools in Alexander County fared the worst among all Illinois counties, with 97.1% of students failing to meet test requirements.
At the other end of the spectrum, Monroe County had the highest success rate across the state, with 50% of its students passing the mathematics 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Braceville Elementary School | 92% | 75 |
| Mazon-Verona-Kinsman Middle School | 83.5% | 140 |
| White Oak Elementary | 79.8% | 326 |
| Shabbona Middle School | 79.3% | 343 |
| Minooka Intermediate School | 76% | 950 |
| Minooka Elementary School | 75.1% | 217 |
| Aux Sable Elementary School | 75% | 240 |
| Minooka Junior High School | 73.6% | 996 |
| Gardner Elementary School | 68.6% | 86 |
| South Wilmington Grade School | 65.4% | 52 |
| Mazon-Verona-Kinsman Elementary School | 61.2% | 67 |
| Saratoga Elementary School | 58.9% | 476 |
| Coal City Elementary School | 57.7% | 149 |
| Coal City Intermediate School | 55.5% | 261 |
| Nettle Creek Elementary School | 51.8% | 56 |
| Coal City Middle School | 51.7% | 476 |
