Cowden-herrick Jr/sr High School, Cowden IL

Original Research by School Decision on Cowden-herrick Jr/sr High School

Cowden-Herrick Jr/Sr High School is a small combined middle and high school serving grades six through twelve in rural Shelby County. It sits in Cowden, a very small village where the school building is one of the more visible community anchors. The enrollment is small, with the school population distributed across seven grade bands; the student body is entirely white, and free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available, so household economic background cannot be assessed from the data provided.

The most recent state testing data comes from the current school year. In English language arts, sixth graders show strong proficiency at a level that stands well above the midpoint among districts in Shelby County. Seventh graders reach a high level of proficiency, and eighth graders perform solidly. Sixth-grade math proficiency is substantially lower than ELA at the same grade, a pattern worth examining with the school. Seventh-grade math is moderate, and eighth-grade math proficiency drops further. Across the three grades where science data is reported, eighth-grade science performance is solid. In all tested grades and subjects where results are available, every student participated in state assessments.

Comparing the school's proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades to other districts in Shelby County, Cowden-Herrick sits in the top quartile. This reflects the strength of its ELA results, which carry real weight in the school's standing.

A parent may want to look into the math pathway in grades six and eight more closely with the school, given the lower proficiency rates in those grades compared to ELA. The school does not report graduation rates, as the data provided does not include those figures. The earliest elementary grades (three, four, and five) have no test results, as Illinois does not administer the IAR assessment in those grades.

The school operates in a rural setting with a car-based transportation environment. Housing values in the area are moderate and have declined slightly year over year. The broader Cowden community is experiencing slow population decline, which may shape enrollment stability over time. No major recent district initiatives or policy changes were found in available records, so the school's operational trajectory appears steady rather than marked by recent overhauls.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 635%

School 35% · District 35%

▲ 11 pts above state median

Grade 757%

School 57% · District 57%

▲ 28 pts above state median

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 33%

▲ 11 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 670%

School 70% · District 70%

▲ 20 pts above state median

Grade 783%

School 83% · District 83%

▲ 32 pts above state median

Grade 876%

School 76% · District 76%

▲ 23 pts above state median

Science

Grade 864%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 24 pts above state median

This schoolCowden-Herrick CUSD 3A, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.