Test results show 45.4% of Lake 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 Lake County students who succeeded rose by 14.3% 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.
Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ravinia Elementary School | 64.5% | 14.9% | 273 |
| Spencer Loomis Elementary School | 62.2% | 13.3% | 471 |
| Highland Middle School | 61.8% | 20.4% | 712 |
| North Barrington Elementary School | 60.2% | 13.6% | 432 |
| Oak Grove Elementary School | 60.2% | 15.8% | 910 |
| Isaac Fox Elementary School | 58.4% | 10% | 488 |
| Sheridan Elementary School | 57.6% | 16.5% | 262 |
| Deer Path Middle School East | 57.6% | 12.9% | 363 |
| Bannockburn School | 57.3% | 22.7% | 169 |
| Sarah Adams Elementary School | 57.2% | 16.4% | 401 |
| Everett Elementary School | 57% | 12.5% | 307 |
| Millburn Middle School | 56.1% | 11.4% | 393 |
| Wayne Thomas Elementary School | 55.7% | 17.5% | 433 |
| Wilmot Elementary School | 55.7% | 14.3% | 482 |
| Half Day School | 55.2% | 15% | 604 |
| Rockland Elementary School | 54.9% | 8.5% | 276 |
| Adler Park School | 54.2% | 25.2% | 221 |
| Copeland Manor Elementary School | 54.1% | 15.3% | 371 |
| Daniel Wright Junior High School | 54.1% | 30.7% | 744 |
| Aptakisic Junior High School | 54.1% | 16.6% | 877 |
| Fremont Junior High/Middle School | 53.3% | 15.4% | 704 |
| Sherwood Elementary School | 53.1% | 9.7% | 364 |
| Prairie Elementary School | 52.5% | 20.5% | 449 |
| Lake Bluff Middle School | 52.5% | 24.3% | 287 |
| Kildeer Countryside Elementary School | 52.2% | 9.8% | 452 |
| Deer Path Middle School West | 52.1% | 19% | 381 |
| Lake Zurich Middle School – North Campus | 52% | 21.4% | 677 |
| Ivy Hall Elementary School | 51.9% | 16.2% | 498 |
| Earl Pritchett School | 51.8% | 13.9% | 475 |
| Seth Paine Elementary School | 51.4% | 13.4% | 470 |
| Walden Elementary School | 51.3% | 11.5% | 446 |
| Lake Zurich Middle School – South Campus | 50.7% | 30.3% | 613 |
| Hawthorn Elementary School North | 50.6% | 14.7% | 390 |
| May Whitney Elementary School | 50.5% | 16.6% | 732 |
| Meridian School | 50.5% | 12.1% | 673 |
| Millburn Elementary School | 50.4% | 6.5% | 700 |
| Woodlawn Middle School | 50.2% | 25.4% | 657 |
| Charles J. Caruso Middle School | 50.2% | 30.1% | 427 |
| Edgewood Middle School | 50.1% | 12.9% | 657 |
| Emmons Grade School | 50% | 5.7% | 274 |
| South Park Elementary School | 49.7% | 17.2% | 433 |
| Twin Groves Middle School | 49.5% | 28.3% | 593 |
| Braeside Elementary School | 49.2% | 6.2% | 275 |
| Hawthorn Aspen Elementary School | 48.4% | 4.8% | 305 |
| Butterfield School | 48.3% | 12.1% | 525 |
| Alan B. Shepard Middle School | 48.1% | 35.7% | 460 |
| Indian Trail Elementary School | 47.5% | 7.8% | 479 |
| LEARN Charter – Waukegan Campus | 47.4% | 6.5% | 476 |
| Rondout Elementary School | 47.3% | 18.2% | 146 |
| Roslyn Road Elementary School | 47.1% | 13.9% | 459 |
| Meadowview School | 46.8% | 13.7% | 396 |
| Fremont Intermediate School | 46.7% | 6.7% | 637 |
| Tripp School | 46.3% | 7.5% | 513 |
| Country Meadows Elementary School | 46.1% | 8.7% | 431 |
| Prairie Crossing Charter School | 45.9% | 10.6% | 430 |
| Park West School | 44.9% | 7.1% | 313 |
| Hawthorn Middle School North | 44.9% | 17.8% | 589 |
| Oakland Elementary School | 44.7% | 6.2% | 554 |
| Big Hollow Middle School | 44.6% | 10.1% | 756 |
| Andrew Cooke Magnet Elementary School | 44% | 1.8% | 369 |
| Northwood Middle School | 43.7% | 8.7% | 524 |
| Kipling Elementary School | 43.4% | 12.3% | 459 |
| Park East School | 42.8% | 18.4% | 324 |
| Lake Bluff Elementary School | 42.5% | 11.2% | 587 |
| Wauconda Middle School | 42.3% | 3.5% | 497 |
| Red Oak Elementary School | 42.2% | 4.4% | 205 |
| Hawthorn Townline Elementary School | 42% | 10.8% | 296 |
| Robert Crown School | 42% | 6.7% | 810 |
| Prairieview School | 41.4% | 12.9% | 399 |
| Antioch Upper Grade School | 41.4% | 15% | 910 |
| Grass Lake Elementary School | 40.7% | 6.5% | 176 |
| Woodview School | 40.6% | 8.8% | 392 |
| William L. Thompson School | 40.6% | 2.7% | 470 |
| Frederick School | 39.5% | 1.8% | 590 |
| Wauconda Grade School | 38.2% | 3.4% | 427 |
| Cherokee Elementary School | 37.8% | 8.9% | 337 |
| Grayslake Middle School | 37.6% | 4.3% | 632 |
| Mechanics Grove Elementary School | 37.1% | 4% | 487 |
| Carl Sandburg Middle School | 36.4% | 6.8% | 528 |
| Peter J. Palombi School | 36.2% | 3.2% | 821 |
| North Prairie Junior High School | 34.9% | 1.7% | 243 |
| Woodland Intermediate School | 34.9% | 3.6% | 968 |
| John S. Clark Elementary School | 34.8% | 5.2% | 240 |
| Matthews Middle School | 34.6% | 8.1% | 456 |
| Olive C. Martin School | 34.6% | 1.3% | 521 |
| H.R. McCall Elementary School | 34.5% | 4.8% | 377 |
| LEARN Charter – North Chicago Campus | 33.8% | 7.3% | 503 |
| Hawthorn Elementary School South | 32.7% | 6.1% | 498 |
| Woodland Middle School | 32.2% | 5.1% | 1,544 |
| Hawthorn School of Dual Language | 32.2% | 3.5% | 402 |
| W.C. Petty Elementary School | 31.2% | 3.8% | 439 |
| Gavin South Middle School | 31.1% | 2.5% | 285 |
| Oak Terrace Elementary School | 30.9% | 4.8% | 529 |
| Woodland Elementary School | 30.8% | 1.1% | 1,425 |
| B.J. Hooper Elementary School | 30.4% | 7.5% | 559 |
| Learn 10 Charter School | 29.4% | 1.7% | 301 |
| River Trail School | 28.2% | 2.3% | 463 |
| Stanton School | 27.2% | 1.1% | 264 |
| Avon Center Elementary School | 26.4% | 5.6% | 335 |
| Hillcrest Elementary School | 26.2% | 2% | 603 |
| Big Hollow Elementary School | 26% | 3% | 518 |
| Beach Park Middle School | 25.6% | 3% | 672 |
| John R. Lewis Middle School | 23.5% | 3.3% | 752 |
| Viking School | 23.4% | 0.6% | 493 |
| Little Fort Elementary School | 22.6% | 3% | 411 |
| West Oak Middle School | 22.1% | 2.5% | 291 |
| Hyde Park Elementary School | 21.9% | 0% | 270 |
| Lotus School | 21.4% | 0.9% | 355 |
| West Oak Intermediate School | 20.2% | 0.4% | 242 |
| Greenwood Elementary School | 19% | 0% | 312 |
| Zion Central Middle School | 19% | 1.3% | 364 |
| Westfield School | 17.8% | 3.7% | 338 |
| Neal Math Science Academy | 17.4% | 1% | 525 |
| Round Lake Middle School | 17.1% | 0.5% | 772 |
| Robert E. Abbott Middle School | 16.1% | 0.7% | 584 |
| Newport Elementary School | 15.9% | 0% | 241 |
| Magee Middle School | 15.7% | 1.6% | 630 |
| Prairie Trail School | 15.3% | 0.3% | 392 |
| Edith M. Smith Middle School | 14.5% | 0.2% | 483 |
| Gavin Central Elementary School | 14.5% | 0.6% | 488 |
| Washington Elementary School | 14.3% | 0.5% | 368 |
| Oakdale Elementary School | 13.9% | 0.6% | 466 |
| Glenwood Elementary School | 13.9% | 0.7% | 586 |
| Oak Crest School | 13% | 0.6% | 339 |
| Indian Hill Elementary School | 12.9% | 0% | 437 |
| Kenneth Murphy School | 12.5% | 0% | 357 |
| Jack Benny Middle School | 12.3% | 0.6% | 504 |
| Village Elementary School | 12.3% | 0% | 325 |
| Shiloh Park Middle School | 12.1% | 1.5% | 303 |
| Glen Flora Elementary School | 11.5% | 0% | 457 |
| Howe Elementary School | 10.1% | 0.6% | 334 |
| W.J. Murphy Elementary School | 9.9% | 0.4% | 413 |
| Raymond Ellis Elementary School | 9.3% | 0.3% | 601 |
| Miguel Juarez Middle School | 9% | 0.6% | 659 |
| Elmwood Elementary School | 7.9% | 0.4% | 225 |
| Whittier Elementary School | 7.8% | 0.5% | 414 |
| North Elementary School | 7.2% | 0% | 472 |
| Lyon Magnet Elementary School | 7% | 0% | 468 |
| Round Lake Beach Elementary School | 6.6% | 0% | 365 |
| Carman-Buckner Elementary School | 6.6% | 0% | 485 |
| West Elementary School | 6.4% | 0% | 427 |
| A.J. Katzenmaier Academy | 5.8% | 0% | 312 |
| Forrestal Elementary School | 5.7% | 0% | 386 |
| Clearview Elementary School | 5.1% | 0% | 414 |
| Evelyn Alexander School | 1.3% | 0% | 324 |
Information in this story was obtained from the Illinois State Board of Education. The source data can be found here.
