School Basic

Two Dolton West Elementary District 148 schools have been selected by the Illinois State Board of Education as 2010 Illinois Spotlight Schools.

For the third consecutive year, Lincoln Junior High School and Roosevelt Junior High School won recognition for their continued academic progress.

Both junior high schools are among more than 830 schools statewide to make the Illinois Honor Roll, which is divided into three award categories: Spotlight Schools, Academic Improvement, and Academic Excellence.

The two Dolton schools are among 300 Spotlight Schools located in urban, suburban, and rural areas earning this distinction this year. The Spotlight award recognizes a high-poverty school where academic performance is closing the achievement gap.

“This achievement illustrates the hard work of our principals, teachers, staff, and students. It also affirms our belief that all children can learn. We are proud of our students and our staff, but we know our work is not finished. We continue to focus on delivering instruction based on individual students’ needs and finding ways to continue to improve learning and teaching. With the help and support of our families, the Board of Education, and our communities, we will continue to achieve success,” District 148 Superintendent Dr. Jayne E. Purcell said

Northern Illinois University worked with ISBE to establish award standards, identify winners, and administer the Honor Roll. Each award has unique criteria that best reflect the diverse circumstances of Illinois schools.

Lincoln and Roosevelt Junior High Schools met the following rigorous criteria for selection as Spotlight Schools:

At least half the students enrolled are classified as low-income students in 2010.
Schools must have made Adequate Yearly Progress for the last two years, 2009 and 2010, as required by No Child Left Behind.
At least 60 percent of students must have met or exceeded standards in both reading and mathematics in 2010, and at least 50 percent of students met or exceeded those same standards in the two preceding years; 2009 and 2008.

All Spotlight Schools must be making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), which requires that at least 77.5% of students must be passing the state achievement tests in both reading and mathematics. In addition, at least half the students in each school are from low-income families.

“These Honor Roll schools continue to prove that hard work and reform efforts impact student achievement even as the bar to making Adequate Yearly Progress is raised,” State Superintendent Christopher A. Koch said in a prepared statement. “We hope administrators, teachers, parents, students and community members can celebrate their local schools’ success.”