McLean County Times

Despite dismal student performance on annual exams covering math and reading, Bloomington-Normal metro area high school graduation rates remain high, according to a McLean County Times analysis of 2016 data from the Illinois State Board of Education.

Of the 15 schools analyzed in McLean and Livingston counties, Olympia High School showed the greatest disparity. In a year when 87 percent of seniors graduated on time, just 15 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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Graduation fraud index

Bloomington-Normal metro area high school	School district	City	Annual exam pass rate (%)	Graduation rate (%)	Graduation fraud index
Olympia High School	Olympia Cusd 16	Stanford	14.5	87.2	-72.7
Pontiac High School	Pontiac Twp Hsd 90	Pontiac	20	83.2	-63.2
Flanagan-Cornell High School	Flanagan-Cornell Dist 74	Flanagan	25	87.9	-62.9
Heyworth Jr-Sr High School	Heyworth Cusd 4	Heyworth	24.5	86	-61.5
Normal Community High School	Mclean County Usd 5	Normal	31.5	91.1	-59.6
Ridgeview High School	Ridgeview Cusd 19	Colfax	30.4	89.6	-59.2
Dwight High School	Dwight Twp Hsd 230	Dwight	33.9	91.7	-57.8
Tri-Point High School	Tri Point Cusd 6-J	Cullom	33.8	90	-56.2
Normal Community West High School	Mclean County Usd 5	Normal	35	90.7	-55.7
Bloomington High School	Bloomington Sd 87	Bloomington	27.6	82.1	-54.5
Tri-Valley High School	Tri Valley Cusd 3	Downs	40	90.3	-50.3
Prairie Central High School	Prairie Central Cusd 8	Fairbury	48.7	90.2	-41.5
Leroy High School	Leroy Cusd 2	Le Roy	60.9	90.6	-29.7
Lexington High School	Lexington Cusd 7	Lexington	76.6	90.6	-14
Woodland High School	Woodland Cusd 5	Streator	20.4	2.3	18.1

Source: Illinois State Board of Education