Lake County Gazette

Despite dismal student performance on annual exams covering math and reading, Lake County high school graduation rates remain high, according to a Lake County Gazette analysis of 2016 data from the Illinois State Board of Education.

Of the 21 schools analyzed within the county, New Tech High at Zion Benton East showed the greatest disparity. In a year when 95 percent of seniors graduated on time, just 16 percent of students actually passed annual tests that the state uses to determine who is "ready for the next level."

The end-of-year tests known as the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, are administered to third- through eighth-graders in Illinois, testing them based on Common Core standards. High-schoolers also took the tests through 2016. 

A composite score combines the results of the subject tests. Students whose scores either meet or exceed expectations are considered "ready for the next level."

Schools' graduation fraud index shows the difference between the composite passing rate and the graduation rate.

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Lake County schools graduation fraud index

Lake County high school	School district	City	Annual exam pass rate (%)	Graduation rate (%)	Graduation fraud index
New Tech High at Zion-Benton East	Zion-Benton Twp Hsd 126	Zion	15.9	95.1	-79.2
Wauconda High School	Wauconda Cusd 118	Wauconda	14	91.7	-77.7
Grant Community High School	Grant Chsd 124	Fox Lake	20.6	93.5	-72.9
Warren Township High School	Warren Twp Hsd 121	Gurnee	25.5	93.5	-68
Lake Forest High School	Lake Forest Chsd 115	Lake Forest	25.9	93.5	-67.6
Waukegan High School	Waukegan Cusd 60	Waukegan	9.7	75.4	-65.7
Mundelein Cons High School	Mundelein Cons Hsd 120	Mundelein	24.9	89.6	-64.7
Zion-Benton Township High School	Zion-Benton Twp Hsd 126	Zion	17.1	81.7	-64.6
Barrington High School	Barrington Cusd 220	Barrington	35.3	97.2	-61.9
Round Lake Senior High School	Round Lake Cusd 116	Round Lake	24.9	86.4	-61.5
Grayslake Central High School	Grayslake Chsd 127	Grayslake	33.6	95.1	-61.5
Antioch Comm High School	Chsd 117	Antioch	32.2	92.7	-60.5
Deerfield High School	Twp Hsd 113	Deerfield	35.5	95.9	-60.4
Grayslake North High School	Grayslake Chsd 127	Grayslake	35.7	95.8	-60.1
Lakes Community High School	Chsd 117	Lake Villa	36.9	95.7	-58.8
North Chicago Community High School	North Chicago Sd 187	North Chicago	5.8	62.6	-56.8
Highland Park High School	Twp Hsd 113	Highland Park	40.6	89	-48.4
Lake Zurich High School	Lake Zurich Cusd 95	Lake Zurich	48.3	95	-46.7
Libertyville High School	Chsd 128	Libertyville	60	95.6	-35.6
Adlai E Stevenson High School	Adlai E Stevenson Hsd 125	Lincolnshire	67	94.5	-27.5
Vernon Hills High School	Chsd 128	Vernon Hills	69.7	94.9	-25.2

Source: Illinois State Board of Education