Metro East Sun

More than 4 in 10 St. Clair 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 Metro East Sun analysis of test score data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

ISBE reports that last year, 43.5% of St. Clair County's 15,797 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.

Estelle Sauget School of Choice (64.6%), Joseph Arthur Middle School (60.3%) and Marissa Elementary School (60.2%) had the highest failure rates in St. Clair County. Meanwhile, New Athens Junior High School (24.2%) and Lovejoy Elementary School (21.9%) had the lowest.

Of 67 St. Clair County high schools, 50, including William Holliday Elementary School, Douglas Elementary School, and East St. Louis-Lincoln Middle School had passing rates of more than 50%.

Countywide, English test failure rates fell from 47.7% in 2021 to 43.5% in 2023.

The failure rate rose in 26 St. Clair County high schools in 2023, with the most significant increase happening at Lovejoy Middle School (56%).

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%).

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
Estelle Sauget School of Choice	161	48.4%	47.6%	64.6%
Joseph Arthur Middle School	234	55.2%	55.1%	60.3%
Marissa Elementary School	128	59.8%	57.9%	60.2%
Franklin Elementary School	77	72.4%	59.8%	58.5%
Marissa Junior and Senior High School	89	64.5%	51.7%	58.4%
Abraham Lincoln Elementary School	297	43.7%	55.7%	56.5%
Lovejoy Middle School	25	33.3%	29.6%	56%
Emge Junior High School	173	57.2%	48.9%	54.9%
Westhaven Elementary School	187	58.6%	49.8%	54.5%
Central Elementary School	104	58.4%	59.5%	52.9%
Whiteside Elementary School	223	63.1%	49%	52.5%
Signal Hill Elementary School	169	47.9%	46.3%	52.1%
Whiteside Middle School	497	54%	52.8%	51.5%
Union Elementary School	245	49.2%	48.5%	51.1%
Marie Schaefer Elementary School	320	52.2%	49.3%	51%
Lebanon High School	118	64.9%	57.3%	50.8%
Henry Raab Elementary School	84	47.4%	52%	50%
William Holliday Elementary School	199	53.2%	54.7%	49.7%
Douglas Elementary School	107	50.5%	48%	49.5%
East St. Louis-Lincoln Middle School	447	40.8%	43.6%	49.5%
Laverna Evans Elementary School	190	54.5%	47.7%	49.5%
Katie Harper-Wright Elementary School	117	37.6%	39.8%	48.7%
Mason-Clark Middle School	570	39.6%	42.7%	48.4%
High Mount Elementary School	197	55.2%	44.7%	48.3%
Shiloh Elementary School	58	56.2%	53.1%	48.3%
Millstadt Consolidated School	466	55.3%	50.3%	48.1%
Wolf Branch Elementary School	151	47.1%	51.2%	47.7%
Roosevelt Elementary School	167	56.9%	49.3%	47.3%
Harmony Intermediate Center	226	58.1%	54.2%	46.9%
Bluffview Elementary School	238	55.3%	52.5%	46.6%
Twin Echo Elementary School	82	58.8%	50.6%	46.4%
Dupo Junior High School	134	61%	56.9%	46.3%
Annette Officer Elementary School	121	33.1%	45%	45.4%
Wyvetter Younge School of Excellence	208	45.6%	44.9%	45.2%
St. Libory Elementary School	40	56.4%	60.6%	45%
Amelia V. Carriel Junior High School	678	49.8%	50.3%	44.7%
Grant Middle School	233	58%	60.5%	44.2%
Jefferson Elementary School	148	40%	50.3%	43.9%
Shiloh Middle School	310	53.4%	46.3%	43.8%
Pontiac Junior High School	207	47.8%	52%	43.5%
Belle Valley School	608	50.8%	48.4%	43.4%
Caseyville Elementary School	123	50.9%	48.8%	43.1%
Estelle Kampmeyer Elementary School	225	42.5%	44.9%	43.1%
James Avant Elementary School	134	40.4%	45.5%	42.6%
Central Junior High School	338	52.3%	48.6%	40.2%
Illini Elementary School	117	37.1%	46.3%	40.2%
Helen Huffman Elementary School	262	29%	29.8%	39.7%
Wolf Branch Middle School	344	46.2%	43.4%	39.2%
Ellis Elementary School	69	40.8%	57.5%	39.1%
New Athens Elementary School	93	33.4%	36.7%	38.7%
J. Emmett Hinchcliffe Senior Elementary School	243	45.9%	46.8%	38.2%
West Junior High School	413	49.6%	48.9%	37.5%
Mascoutah Middle School	893	44.2%	42.9%	37.4%
Delores Moye Elementary School	293	46.4%	41.3%	36.8%
Wingate Elementary School	210	48.2%	39.7%	36.2%
Fulton Junior High School	636	47.2%	43.7%	34.9%
Dunbar Elementary School	150	31.7%	37.6%	34%
Mascoutah Elementary School	413	38.9%	35.5%	33%
Smithton Elementary School	370	47.6%	41.9%	33%
Elizabeth Morris Elementary School	44	14%	8.4%	31.9%
Freeburg Elementary School	530	39.3%	39.6%	31.8%
Penniman Elementary School	262	25.8%	22.5%	31.7%
Lebanon Elementary School	115	55.5%	43.4%	30.4%
Scott Elementary School	300	38.6%	31.5%	28.3%
Lalumier Elementary School	43	10.5%	17%	25.6%
New Athens Junior High School	103	33.6%	34.9%	24.2%
Lovejoy Elementary School	41	15.3%	6.9%	21.9%