News
For Immediate Release
February 23, 2010
Nearly 1,000 schools recognized for academic excellence on 2009 Illinois Honor Roll
Annual list shows continued academic achievement;
Number of consistently high-performing schools increased to 438 in past year
SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Northern Illinois University (NIU) announced today that 975 schools made the Illinois Honor Roll for their continued academic progress. The 2009 honor roll includes more than 90 schools that are being recognized for the sixth or seventh consecutive year. All of these outstanding schools are being honored for their accomplishments in making progress toward or maintaining academic excellence.
"These Honor Roll schools include struggling schools that have undertaken large reform efforts as well as high-performing schools that have maintained excellence even as the bar to making Adequate Yearly Progress grows higher," said State Superintendent Christopher A. Koch. "This kind of achievement requires nothing less than sheer hard work and dedication on the part of administrators, teachers, parents and students."
Northern Illinois University worked with ISBE to establish criteria, identify winners of the awards and administer the Illinois Honor Roll, which is divided into three categories – Spotlight Schools; Academic Excellence and Academic Improvement. Each award has unique criteria that best reflect the diverse circumstances of Illinois schools.
- Spotlight Schools – Recognizes 425 high-poverty, high-performing schools that are beating the odds to overcoming the achievement gap.
- Academic Excellence Awards – 438 schools have sustained high performance over at least three years.
- Academic Improvement Awards – 147 schools are showing substantial gains over three years.
The 2009 honor roll roster includes elementary, middle and high schools, including charter schools, and represents 362 school districts statewide. Suburban schools represent 42 percent of the Honor Roll schools, downstate schools account for another 44 percent and Chicago schools make up the final 14 percent this year. The 975 schools earned a total of 1,110 awards in the three categories.
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Other 2009 Illinois Honor Roll facts:
- At all 147 Academic Improvement Award schools, the number of students meeting or exceeding standards increased by at least 7.5 points over one year or 15 points over two years.
- In 2009, six schools won the Academic Improvement Award, sustaining annual 7.5 improvements, for a fourth time.
- Nine Spotlight Schools are receiving a seventh award this year, having maintained high level performance since the award began in 2003, and 27 schools earned the award for a sixth straight year.
- In 2009, 44 Academic Excellence schools sustained their long-term high achievement and won a sixth award, 44 schools are being recognized for the fifth time (2005–2009) and 23 for the fourth time (2006–2009).
- In 2009, 166 Academic Excellence elementary schools showed increases in scores over last year, even though they started at a baseline above 90 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards.
- This year, five schools won both the Spotlight Schools award and the Academic Excellence Award. Among them is a Chicago high school, Jones College Preparatory which has made the Honor Roll more than any school in the state with 12 awards since the Honor Roll began in 2003. Sheridan Elementary Math & Science Academy in Chicago also earned both a Spotlight and Academic Excellence Award as did Arcadia Elementary School in Olympia Fields, Chatsworth Grade School (Chatsworth) and Belle Rive Attendance Center (Belle Rive.)
- Another 30 schools won both the Spotlight Schools award and the Academic Improvement Award.
A complete listing of the 2009 Illinois Honor Roll Schools can be found online at: http://www.ilhonorroll.niu.edu/
