Test results show 47% of McHenry County students passed the ELA portion of the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
The number of McHenry County students who succeeded rose by 17.1% compared to the previous school year.
Woodford County had the highest success rate across the state, with 60.7% of its students passing the ELA portion of the IAR. Schools in Alexander County, on the other hand, performed the worst, with 87.3% of students failing to meet test requirements.
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.Â
However, data also indicates a significant achievement gap based on race and ethnicity. 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.
Illinois allocated $8.6 billion to K-12 education in its 2025 budget—a $350 million increase over FY 2024, meeting the minimum required under the state’s school funding formula.
McHenry County Schools Students who Met or Exceeded Academic Standards in ELA Compared to Previous Years
| School | Students who met standards (%) | Students who exceed standards (%) | Total enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heineman Middle School | 54.9% | 6.1% | 748 |
| Marlowe Middle School | 53.6% | 11.5% | 1,238 |
| Creekside Middle School | 51.7% | 20.2% | 748 |
| Eastview Elementary School | 51.3% | 13.8% | 422 |
| Riley Community Consolidated School | 51.1% | 5.1% | 240 |
| Alden-Hebron Elementary School | 50.6% | 4.7% | 232 |
| Alden-Hebron Middle School | 50.5% | 4.3% | 73 |
| South Elementary School | 50% | 2% | 422 |
| Spring Grove Elementary School | 50% | 7.7% | 319 |
| Northwood Middle School | 49.8% | 17.3% | 625 |
| Algonquin Middle School | 48.7% | 5.3% | 434 |
| Nippersink Middle School | 48.2% | 12.6% | 392 |
| Prairie Grove Elementary School | 47.9% | 5.9% | 528 |
| Greenwood Elementary School | 46.9% | 1.2% | 294 |
| Woods Creek Elementary School | 46.8% | 2.6% | 523 |
| Leggee Elementary School | 46.2% | 10.7% | 891 |
| Cary Junior High School | 45.7% | 9% | 742 |
| Kenneth E. Neubert Elementary School | 44.4% | 5.8% | 471 |
| Mary Endres Elementary School | 44.3% | 10.5% | 383 |
| Glacier Ridge Elementary School | 44.3% | 5.7% | 388 |
| Conley Elementary School | 44.3% | 6.7% | 567 |
| Lincoln Prairie Elementary School | 44.3% | 3% | 471 |
| Prairie Grove Junior High School | 44% | 8.6% | 339 |
| Richmond Grade School | 43.7% | 4.7% | 403 |
| Hannah Beardsley Middle School | 43.7% | 5.1% | 821 |
| Martin Elementary School | 42.6% | 2.8% | 761 |
| McHenry Middle School | 42% | 4.9% | 687 |
| Richard F. Bernotas Middle School | 41.7% | 7.2% | 778 |
| Parkland School | 41.2% | 2.8% | 675 |
| Landmark Elementary School | 40.4% | 1.9% | 193 |
| Deer Path Elementary School | 40% | 2.6% | 391 |
| Olson Elementary School | 39.2% | 5.8% | 418 |
| North Elementary School | 39.1% | 4.6% | 623 |
| Westwood Elementary School | 38.3% | 6.7% | 346 |
| Prairiewood Elementary School | 38.2% | 5.4% | 363 |
| Lundahl Middle School | 38.2% | 2.7% | 781 |
| Marengo Community Middle School | 37.9% | 5% | 316 |
| Three Oaks School | 37.2% | 2.5% | 553 |
| Dean Street Elementary School | 36.9% | 3.6% | 336 |
| Johnsburg Junior High School | 36.4% | 5.4% | 363 |
| Valley View Elementary School | 35.9% | 5.5% | 494 |
| Indian Prairie Elementary School | 35% | 1.8% | 463 |
| West Elementary School | 34.7% | 7.1% | 487 |
| Ulysses S. Grant Intermediate School | 33.3% | 2.7% | 224 |
| Hilltop Elementary School | 33.1% | 2.5% | 427 |
| Algonquin Road Elementary School | 32.6% | 11.6% | 233 |
| Riverwood Elementary School | 32.5% | 2% | 596 |
| Locust Elementary School | 32.2% | 4.1% | 545 |
| Husmann Elementary School | 30.4% | 1.2% | 464 |
| Cotton Creek School | 29.7% | 5.7% | 567 |
| Briargate Elementary School | 29.6% | 2.1% | 365 |
| Harrison Elementary School | 29.4% | 0.8% | 408 |
| Johnsburg Elementary School | 29% | 3.1% | 355 |
| Chauncey H. Duker School | 28.5% | 2% | 425 |
| Coventry Elementary School | 27% | 2.3% | 595 |
| Edgebrook Elementary School | 24.4% | 0% | 534 |
| Lake In The Hills Elementary School | 23.4% | 0% | 463 |
| Fox River Grove Middle School | 22.9% | 0.6% | 184 |
| Canterbury Elementary School | 16.2% | 1.4% | 447 |
| Jefferson Elementary School | 14.7% | 0.6% | 357 |
| Crosby Elementary School | 6% | 0% | 634 |
Information in this story was obtained from the Illinois State Board of Education. The source data can be found here.
