IAR results are in and 74.8% of Adams 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 Adams County rose by 2.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Seymour High School | 83.4% | 78 |
| Dr. Abby Fox Rooney Elementary School | 80.6% | 243 |
| Sarah Atwater Denman Elementary School Site 2 | 78.4% | 263 |
| Colonel George Iles Elementary School | 77.6% | 241 |
| Seymour Elementary School | 77.6% | 116 |
| Central Junior High School | 76.3% | 211 |
| Thomas S. Baldwin Elementary School Site 2 | 76.2% | 268 |
| Unity Elementary School | 72.2% | 101 |
| Lincoln-Douglas Elementary School | 70.8% | 291 |
| Central 3-4 Middle School | 70.5% | 115 |
| Liberty Elementary School | 70% | 184 |
| Unity Middle School | 67.9% | 193 |
| Liberty High School | 66.2% | 74 |
