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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December
18, 2002
State Academic Early Warning List Has
661 Schools from 125 Districts
But 63 schools get off the list from last
year
The State Board of Education today reviewed
the 2002 Academic Early Warning List consisting of 661 schools
from 125 districts and will take final action on list at tomorrow’s
meeting. State laws provide that schools are placed on the
AEWL if less than 50% of their students meet state standards
for two consecutive years.
“The warning list is one of our most important tools
for identifying which schools need significant help and for
channeling resources to them,” said State Superintendent
of Education Robert E. Schiller. “The list is a structured
way of letting the public know how Illinois schools are doing.
It leads to a structured way of working with local school
communities to improve academic performance.”
Schools are removed from the AEWL when more than 50% of their
students are meeting or exceeding state standards. Thirty
districts with a total of 63 schools earned removal from the
AEWL because of 2002 scores on Illinois state assessments,
which include ISAT, IMAGE, and IAA.
“These are bright spots in our state, and it’s
up to us to help struggling schools replicate their success,”
Schiller said.
The number of schools on the Academic Early Warning List
in part reflects the rigorous Illinois Learning Standards
against which students are measured, Schiller said. “Schools
are still working to incorporate the Learning Standards into
all their classrooms, and I am confident we will see these
numbers decline as that process continues.”
“Through our System of Support, we will target our
limited resources to help improve student achievement in these
districts and schools,” Schiller said, “but it
will take the efforts of entire communities to support schools
in getting the gains that are needed. We look forward to that
collaborative effort.”
The AEWL is very similar to the federal Title 1 “School
Improvement List,” but the AEWL includes schools that
do not receive Title 1 funding. The new federal No Child Left
Behind Act requires all states to move to a single accountability
system in 2003.
The 2001 AEWL consisted of 594 schools from 65 districts,
but included only elementary schools. Additions to the AEWL
for 2002 numbered 160 schools, of which 128 are high schools.
The 2002 Academic Early Warning List in county order may
be accessed at the following website, http://www.isbe.net/pdf/02aewl.pdf.
In addition, the list of the 63 schools that were on the
2001 AEWL but not on the 2002 list may be accessed at http://www.isbe.net/pdf/02aewlremoved.pdf.
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