The Illinois State Board of Education has named eleven CCSD21 schools as exemplary or commendable, as compared to all schools across Illinois. The designations are part of the Illinois Quality Framework required under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and were released today on the Illinois School Report Card.
“We continue to witness the growth and achievement of students in our classrooms every day,” said Dr. Michael Connolly, Superintendent of CCSD21. “We use this to celebrate our many successes and identify targeted student groups with additional support to ensure all learners are being challenged at the highest levels.”
Longfellow Elementary School, designated as exemplary, performed in the top 10% of all schools in Illinois.
Cooper, Holmes, and London Middle Schools, and Field, Kilmer, Poe, Riley, Tarkington, and Twain Elementary Schools were named commendable. The school population, and all student groups within the schools, met the academic performance, growth, and school quality expectations of the State of Illinois. Holmes Middle School and Twain Elementary School received an underperforming designation last year.
Two CCSD21 schools, Frost and Whitman Elementary Schools, received an underperforming designation, which means there are specific smaller groups within the student population who require additional support to maximize their growth and achievement. As part of the accountability system that launched last year, these schools will receive targeted aid to support these learners in accelerating their academic growth.
“We welcome the opportunity to access additional funding, tools, and learning partners to build on the talent of our incredible teachers and staff at Frost and Whitman,” Connolly said. “We look forward to including all parents, families, and community partners in the work ahead to continually reflect and improve upon our practice.
“The strength of a school community does not lay in a test score nor is it defined by a designation on an annual report card. The strength of a school community is in the enthusiasm for learning we see in our students, it is in building upon the daily successes our students’ experience in our classrooms, it is in the support of parents, and it is in the hard work and dedication of faculty and staff,” Connolly said.
To complement the Illinois Report Card, CCSD21 has updated its District Data Dashboard, where more information about CCSD21 schools and their successes may be viewed. To access the Data Dashboard, visit www.ccsd21.org/datadashboard. To access the Illinois Report Card, visit www.illinoisreportcard.com.
EMPOWERING EVERY STUDENT, EVERY DAY
