That's according to a DuPage Policy Journal analysis of 2022 test score data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
ISBE reports that last year, 53.9 percent of DuPage County's 11,316 public high school students failed the English language arts 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.
Addison Trail High School (83 percent), Community High School (80.2 percent) and Fenton High School (78.7 percent) had the highest failure rates in DuPage County. Neuqua Valley High School (30.1 percent) and Hinsdale Central High School (28 percent) had the lowest.
Of 23 DuPage County high schools, only eight -- Waubonsie Valley High School, Glenbard South High School, York Community High School, Metea Valley High School, Naperville North High School, Naperville Central High School, Neuqua Valley High School, Hinsdale Central High School had passing rates of more than 50 percent.
County-wide, English test failure rates rose from 47.2 percent in 2019 to 53.9 percent in 2022.
The failure rate increased at 19 DuPage County high schools in 2022, with the most significant increase happening at Addison Trail High School (83 percent).
Failure rates rose the most at Cook County (100 percent), Marion County (100 percent), Peoria County (100 percent), Scott County (100 percent), Tazewell County (100 percent).
Statewide, 69.1 percent of Illinois students failed the 2022 state English exam, up from 64 percent 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 2019 | Failing % in 2021 | Failing % in 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addison Trail High School | 435 | 78.8% | 71.2% | 83% |
| Community High School | 434 | 72.5% | 79.3% | 80.2% |
| Fenton High School | 334 | 72.1% | 72.8% | 78.7% |
| Glenbard East High School | 516 | 64.6% | 69.1% | 70.7% |
| Glenbard North High School | 523 | 60% | 66.7% | 70.6% |
| Willowbrook High School | 489 | 58.1% | 58.4% | 67.5% |
| Downers Grove South High School | 623 | 57.6% | 57.7% | 65.7% |
| Lake Park High School | 597 | 50.7% | 56.6% | 61% |
| Hinsdale South High School | 323 | 55.7% | 52% | 60.7% |
| Wheaton Warrenville South High School | 424 | 50.5% | 50.3% | 56.4% |
| Lisle High School | 97 | 50.5% | 60.7% | 55.7% |
| Westmont High School | 88 | 43% | 44.2% | 52.3% |
| Wheaton North High School | 447 | 43.6% | 47.6% | 51.4% |
| Glenbard West High School | 535 | 44.3% | 43.6% | 50.4% |
| Downers Grove North High School | 516 | 44.2% | 47.7% | 50% |
| Waubonsie Valley High School | 600 | 44.8% | 47.2% | 49.5% |
| Glenbard South High School | 284 | 52.7% | 54.1% | 49.3% |
| York Community High School | 636 | 34.9% | 43.4% | 47.7% |
| Metea Valley High School | 664 | 40.9% | 43.4% | 46.6% |
| Naperville North High School | 652 | 35.1% | 36.9% | 42.6% |
| Naperville Central High School | 644 | 32.8% | 38.5% | 37.4% |
| Neuqua Valley High School | 815 | 27.3% | 31.1% | 30.1% |
| Hinsdale Central High School | 640 | 24.7% | 27.4% | 28% |
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