2005 Academic Excellence Award

Many of this nation's most-honored schools are in Illinois. Awards and lists of outstanding schools generated by national magazines, government agencies, realtors, and research studies always include first-rate institutions in our state.  The Academic Excellence Awards recognize 101 schools that have sustained very high performance levels.

In these elementary schools, at least 90% of students met or exceeded state standards in 2003-2005. At the high school level, 80% of students passed the Prairie State Achievement Exam in 2003-2005. All Academic Excellence schools achieved Adequate Yearly Progress for the last two years.

Achieving and maintaining excellence is not easy in any school. The critical strategies for success cited by the 2003-4 award-winning Illinois principals in NIU's Mission Possible also operate in the schools winning the Excellence Award. Students, teachers, school leaders, parents, and community members all contribute to sustaining high-level academic performance.

Total Number in 2005 = 101

School Types

Test Scores - Moving More Students into the Exceeds Range

• 58 elementary schools showed increases in scores over 2003, even though they started at a baseline above 90% of students meeting or exceeding standards.
• 22 elementary schools showed decreases in test scores, but stayed above the 90% mark.
• 2 high schools increased PSAE scores by significant amounts – Jones College Prep in Chicago (3.6 points) and Payton College Prep in Chicago (2.6 points).  Northside College Prep in Chicago continued to increase its PSAE scores with 98.7% of students meeting or exceeding standards in 2005.

Low-income Enrollment

• 10 schools in Chicago and 11 schools downstate have low-income populations ranging from 15 to 61%.
• 80 schools enroll fewer than 15% low-income students.

Geographic Distribution of 101 Academic Excellence Awards

School Size

• Adlai Stevenson High School is the largest with 4568 students; all seven suburban high schools enroll more than 1700, as does Whitney Young High School in Chicago.
• Elementary enrollments range from 97 in Belle Rive to 599 students in Naperville.
• 58% of the elementary schools enroll more than 450 students.

Restricted Enrollment

12 schools restrict enrollment to gifted and talented students or those with high test scores.

Cities with 3 or More Academic Excellence Awards