In the 2023-24 school year, 36.2% of the students in Highland Community Unit School District 5 passed the Math portion of the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
Of the 1,198 students in Highland Community Unit School District 5 who took the Math portion of the test, approximately 434 (36.2%) passed.
The percentage of Highland Community Unit School District 5 students who met or exceeded expectations on the IAR increased by 0.7% compared to the previous school year.
Highland Community Unit School District 5 roughly covers six schools within Madison County and has a main office in Highland.
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 | District | Students who met standards (%) | Students who exceed standards (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grantfork Upper Elementary School | Highland Community Unit School District 5 | 56.9% | 2% |
| Alhambra Primary School | Highland Community Unit School District 5 | 45.8% | 8.3% |
| Highland Elementary School | Highland Community Unit School District 5 | 29.9% | 3.9% |
