District 148 schools earn 2009 Honor Roll status

Five Dolton West Elementary District 148 schools have won recognition by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for their continued academic progress.

For the second consecutive year, Franklin, Lincoln, and Roosevelt Elementary Schools along with Lincoln and Roosevelt Junior High Schools, all in Dolton, have been selected by the ISBE as 2009 Spotlight Schools.

Each school has earned the distinction of being named to the Illinois Honor Roll which is divided into three award categories: Spotlight Schools, Academic Improvement, and Academic Excellence.

They are among 425 high-poverty, high-performing schools across the state which are overcoming the “achievement gap.”

“Having our schools make the Illinois Honor Roll two years in a row is an extraordinary achievement. Our students are proving they can meet the demanding academic challenges presented to them each year,” District 148 Superintendent Dr. Jayne E. Purcell said. “We share this honor with our staff, our administrators, our Board of Education, our community, and our parents whose commitment to our young people makes this possible.”

The annual awards were announced in February by the Illinois State Board of Education and Northern Illinois University.

The Interactive Illinois Report Card at NIU worked with the ISBE to establish criteria, identify award winners, and administer the Honor Roll.

These five district schools met the following rigorous criteria for selection:

• At least half the students are from low-income families in 2009.
• At least 70 percent of students met or exceeded standards in both reading and mathematics.
• At least 50 percent of students met or exceeded reading and math standards during the two previous years.
• Schools must have made Adequate Yearly Progress during the two previous years as required by No Child Left Behind, which in 2009,
  meant:

1. At least 70 percent of students meeting and exceeding standards in both reading and mathematics;
2. 95 percent participation rate in state assessments for all students and each subgroup;
3. An attendance rate of at least 90 percent for elementary and middle schools and a graduation rate of at least 78 percent for high schools.

For more information about the Illinois Honor Roll, go to: http://www.ilhonorroll.niu.edu