The Illinois Honor Roll acknowledges 683 schools where academic achievement is strong and/or improving significantly.

The Illinois Honor Roll schools have met the following criteria:

Spotlight Schools Awards to 316 Schools

• At least 50% low-income in 2005;
• At least 60% of students met or exceeded standards in both reading and mathematics in 2005;
• At least 50% of students met or exceeded standards in both reading and mathematics in 2003 and 2004;
• Made Adequate Yearly Progress in 2004 and 2005, as required by No Child Left Behind
  • At least 40% meeting and exceeding standards in both reading and mathematics
  • 95% participation rate in state assessments for all students and each subgroup
  • Attendance rate of at least 89% for elementary and middle schools and 67% for high schools

Academic Improvement Awards to 306 Schools

• Made significant academic improvement by either -
  • Showed at least 7.5 point improvement in state test scores in both reading and mathematics between 2004 and 2005, OR
  • Showed at least 15 point improvement in state test scores in both reading and mathematics between 2003 and 2005
    AND
• Showed an upward trend in state test results

Academic Excellence Awards to 101 Schools

• Made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in 2004 and 2005,
  • At least 47.5% meeting and exceeding standards on state assessments
  • 95% participation rate in state assessments for all students and each subgroup
  • Attendance rate of at least 89% for elementary and middle schools and 67% for high schools AND
• PK-8 Schools - 90% of students met or exceeded state standards in both reading and mathematics for at least 3 consecutive years;
• High Schools - 80% of students met or exceeded state standards in both reading and mathematics for at least 3 consecutive years.

The Illinois State Board of Education sponsors the Illinois Honor Roll in partnership with Northern Illinois University. The Honor Roll is one of NIU's "P-20" initiatives, designed to improve coordination and quality of education across the continuum from pre-school through graduate school.

To learn more about each of the awards and the schools that earned them, click on the schoolhouse icons on the left.