The Illinois State Board of Education has released its 2018 report card, ranking state schools from highest-performing to lowest-performing.
The report card is used for the state’s new support and accountability system, designating schools as “exemplary,” “commendable” and “underperforming.”
The categories aim to identify “how well the school is meeting the needs of all students,” according to officials.
The designation is based on 10 metrics including English language arts proficiency, math proficiency, English learner progress, science proficiency, chronic absenteeism, climate survey and fine arts. High schools are also looked at for graduation and 9th-graders on track to graduate while schools up to eighth grade are evaluated on academic growth and fifth-grade math grades, middle school success and participation in enrichment and acceleration.
“The designations are facts, not judgments," State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith said in a statement. “The purpose of the designation is to drive resources to the students in the greatest need. No single data point can capture what makes a school great. We encourage schools to use the designation as a tool to communicate about strengths and challenges and to engage communities and stakeholders in the success of all students."
In addition to data showing the highest percentage of students enrolling in college since Illinois began reporting the metric, the report also shows the student population in Illinois becoming more diverse.
See how your school ranked here.
