(This is one of ten stories and fourteen tables associated with the release of the 1995 Illinois school report cards for city and suburban schools.)
Guide to interpreting standard test scores
Each spring, by law, Illinois public school students are given standard tests, and the results are made public every fall. Reading, writing and mathematics are tested in the 3rd, 6th, 8th and 10th grades; science and social studies are tested in the 4th, 7th and 11th grades.
Results for reading, math, social studies and science are given on a scale of 0 to 500; for writing, on a scale of 6 to 32. Composite scores from the American College Test are on a scale of 0 to 36.
The 1995 state averages are: 3rd-grade reading, 247; 6th-grade reading, 260; 8th-grade reading, 246; 10th-grade reading, 237; 3rd-grade math, 275; 6th-grade math, 272; 8th-grade math, 275; 10th-grade math, 259; 3rd-grade writing, 18.5; 6th-grade writing, 23.0; 8th-grade writing, 24.9; 10th-grade writing, 26.2; 4th-grade science, 243; 7th-grade science, 243; 11th-grade science, 256; 4th-grade social studies, 251; 7th-grade social studies, 244; 11th-grade social studies, 248; ACT composite, 21.1.
Each score listed in the tables is the average for the students at each school who took the test. The percentage of seniors who took the ACT also is noted; not all take it.
“Percent low income” refers to the students with incomes below the poverty line.
Source: Illinois State Board of Education.
McHenry County
%%
—-Reading—- –Mathematics– —–Writing—–
3rd 6th 8th 3rd 6th 8th 3rd 6th 8th
School District grade grade grade grade grade grade grade grade grade
Alden Hebron 19 260 304 247 251 320 292 19 25.3 25.7
Cary 26 298 315 303 304 315 336 20.1 25.6 26.7
Crystal Lake 47 274 298 285 302 300 325 19.7 24.0 27.0
Fox River Grove 3 288 296 273 321 293 281 19.0 23.9 24.8
Harrison 36 214 285 251 222 258 276 16.8 21.9 26.2
Harvard 50 270 279 253 317 269 287 19.3 22.0 23.7
Huntley 158 243 279 272 252 312 314 20.4 22.9 25.6
Johnsburg 12 289 293 257 345 271 257 20.6 23.5 25.4
Marengo-Union 165 268 278 255 316 267 287 20.6 22.8 24.5
McHenry 15 259 264 252 278 281 278 18.4 22.5 24.4
Prairie Grove 46 273 311 302 305 297 313 19.7 22.9 28.4
Richmond 13 293 282 294 317 301 308 18.5 24.8 23.5
Riley 18 296 268 258 340 303 297 20.7 25.4 26.0
Spring Grove 11 263 306 276 289 318 315 20.8 23.7 24.3
Woodstock 200 263 287 261 301 294 313 18.9 22.5 25.0
Social
–Science– –studies– Cost
4th 7th 4th 7th per % low
School District grade grade grade grade pupil income
Alden Hebron 19 278 251 286 256 $3,988 13.3
Cary 26 304 288 312 280 $4,357 3.6
Crystal Lake 47 274 280 289 282 $3,778 4.0
Fox River Grove 3 306 246 287 239 $3,980 1.9
Harrison 36 239 257 222 246 $4,045 17.5
Harvard 50 268 255 290 244 $4,394 23.7
Huntley 158 255 254 274 250 $4,695 3.0
Johnsburg 12 288 267 286 265 $4,724 4.8
Marengo-Union 165 241 251 258 256 $3,480 11.8
McHenry 15 261 259 250 262 $3,350 8.5
Prairie Grove 46 279 294 268 277 $3,937 3.3
Richmond 13 297 312 329 296 $3,593 3.8
Riley 18 309 268 305 289 $4,489 4.3
Spring Grove 11 310 282 339 261 $3,230 1.6
Woodstock 200 250 269 257 266 $4,744 11.8 %%
