Chicago City Wire

Nearly 9 in 10 Cook County public high school students aren't at grade level in math.

That's according to a Chicago City Wire analysis of 2023 test score data compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

ISBE reports that last year, 86% of Cook County's 6,615 public high school students — approximately 5688 students — failed the math 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.

Percy L. Julian High School (100%), Perspectives High School of Technology & Leadership Academy (100%), and Clark Academy Preparatory Magnet High School (100%) had the highest failure rates in Cook County. Amos Alonzo Stagg High School (64.1%) and Buffalo Grove High School (55.6%) had the lowest.

No Cook County high schools had a passing rate over 50% of students.

Countywide, math test failure rates rose from 67.4% in 2021 to 86% in 2023.

Failure rates increased at 26 Cook County high schools in 2023, with the most significant one happening at Aspira Charter - Business And Finance High School (99%).

Statewide, failure rates increased the most in Wayne County, Greene County, Sangamon County, Pike County, and Pulaski County, where the percentage of students who failed the math exam rose to 74.1%, 86.4%, 95.6%, 96.7%, and 100%, respectively.

Lindblom Math and Science Academy High School and Buffalo Grove High School were the only Cook County high schools to see math scores improve between 2021 and 2023.

Statewide, 75.6% of Illinois students failed the 2023 state math exam, up from 64% in 2021.

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
Percy L. Julian High School	97	79.6%	78.1%	100%
Perspectives High School of Technology & Leadership Academy	86	81%	88%	100%
Clark Academy Preparatory Magnet High School	85	96.3%	95.4%	100%
Multicultural Arts High School	46	78.2%	79.9%	100%
YCCS - Innovations of Arts Integration High School	138	83.3%	84.8%	100%
Manley Career Academy High School	39	88.2%	82.4%	100%
Hirsch Metropolitan High School	31	77.3%	78.6%	100%
Hyde Park Academy High School	170	67.9%	67.2%	99.4%
Clemente Community Academy High School	145	72.6%	68.8%	99.3%
Aspira Charter - Business And Finance High School	102	39.4%	40.4%	99%
Simeon Career Academy High School	276	99%	98%	98.9%
Epic Academy High School	86	75%	73.5%	98.8%
Acero Charter School Network - Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz	38	54.9%	53.3%	97.4%
YCCS - Youth Connection Leadership Academy	37	76.4%	71.2%	97.3%
Thornton Fractional North High School	294	73.5%	81.6%	96.6%
Chicago Military Academy High School	55	57.7%	61.1%	96.3%
George Washington High School	370	44.7%	45.6%	95.9%
Urban Prep Charter Academy Bronzeville High School	54	95%	84.6%	94.4%
Acero Charter School Network - Victoria Soto Campus	139	47.6%	49.4%	94.2%
Williams Medical Preparatory High School	17	88.2%	77.4%	94.1%
Sullivan High School	163	91.6%	73.1%	93.3%
J. Sterling Morton East High School	1,063	89.4%	81%	92.3%
Marine Leadership Academy - Ames	136	70%	73.3%	90.5%
Noble Street Charter Schools - Rauner College Prep	151	92.3%	80%	88.1%
Noble Street Charter Schools - Mansueto High School	249	63.7%	59%	87.1%
Harold L. Richards High School	376	80%	81.4%	85.1%
Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences	180	78.4%	90.9%	82.8%
Evergreen Park High School	229	75.6%	80.7%	81.2%
A.B. Shepard High School	433	69.4%	72.3%	80.3%
Lindblom Math and Science Academy High School	320	96.9%	94.8%	66.6%
Amos Alonzo Stagg High School	525	71.6%	70.3%	64.1%
Buffalo Grove High School	485	68.4%	69.8%	55.6%