DeKalb Times

More than 5 in 10 DeKalb County public students aren't at grade level based on their performance in the English portion of the 2023 SAT.

That's according to a DeKalb Times analysis of test score data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

ISBE reports that last year, 50.8% of DeKalb County's 6,943 public high school students failed the ELA 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.

South Prairie Elementary School (64.5%), Indian Creek Middle School (64.4%) and Jefferson Elementary School (58.8%) had the highest failure rates in DeKalb County. Meanwhile, Somonauk Middle School (36.6%) and Prairie View Elementary School (35.7%) had the lowest.

Of 30 DeKalb County high schools, 13, including Cortland Elementary School, Lynn G. Haskin Elementary School, and Sandwich Middle School had passing rates of more than 50%.

Countywide, English test failure rates fell from 51.3% in 2021 to 50.8% in 2023.

The failure rate rose in 17 DeKalb County high schools in 2023, with the most significant increase happening at Lincoln Elementary School (58.1%).

Data shows that the highest failure rates growths were seen in Christian County (72.5%), Hancock County (73.8%), Cook County (74.1%), White County (74.1%), and Morgan County (76.7%).

Malta Elementary School, Genoa Elementary School, and North Grove Elementary School were the DeKalb County high schools to see improvements between 2021 and 2023.

Statewide, 39.9% of Illinois students failed the 2023 state English exam, down from 64% in 2019.

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	# of Students	Failing % in 2021	Failing % in 2022	Failing % in 2023
South Prairie Elementary School	138	60%	58.5%	64.5%
Indian Creek Middle School	205	60.1%	59.8%	64.4%
Jefferson Elementary School	148	63.5%	54.7%	58.8%
Lincoln Elementary School	124	49.5%	40.1%	58.1%
Hiawatha Junior/Senior High School	93	64.4%	56%	58%
Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School	162	44.8%	44%	57.4%
Hiawatha Elementary School Prek-5	90	54%	53.1%	54.4%
Malta Elementary School	146	57.8%	54.6%	54.1%
James R. Wood Elementary School	108	48.9%	48.1%	53.7%
Huntley Middle School	888	52.8%	52.3%	53.5%
West Elementary School	131	62.2%	50.7%	53.5%
Sycamore Middle School	798	52.8%	57.5%	52.7%
Genoa Elementary School	337	58.9%	52.4%	51.7%
Hinckley-Big Rock Elementary School	153	50.3%	46.3%	51%
Southeast Elementary School	159	41.5%	42.9%	51%
Clinton Rosette Middle School	605	49%	49.3%	50.8%
Herman E. Dummer School	250	54.6%	47%	50.8%
Cortland Elementary School	249	48.9%	57.1%	49.4%
Lynn G. Haskin Elementary School	45	60%	40%	48.9%
Sandwich Middle School	432	51.8%	53.8%	48.4%
North Grove Elementary School	215	50%	48.6%	47.9%
Founders Elementary School	262	47.5%	43.1%	47.3%
North Elementary School	138	47.8%	57%	44.2%
Genoa-Kingston Middle School	341	46.4%	50.3%	43.7%
Indian Creek Elementary School	100	51.4%	51.7%	43%
Littlejohn Elementary School	187	41.2%	41.6%	42.3%
W.W. Woodbury Elementary School	45	28%	54.5%	40%
Tyler Elementary School	120	46.9%	48.9%	39.2%
Somonauk Middle School	232	34.6%	48.2%	36.6%
Prairie View Elementary School	42	43.2%	45.2%	35.7%