On Thursday, Oct. 27, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released the 2022 School Report Card, which provides a detailed look at each school’s progress on academics, student success, school culture and climate, and financial investments. The report cards are available at http://www.illinoisreportcard.com. All District 97 report cards are linked at https://www.op97.org/teach-learn/state-report-cards.
Each School Report Card includes a summative designation—a descriptor for how the school is meeting the needs of all students. This federally-required designation falls into four categories (Exemplary, Commendable, Targeted Support and Comprehensive Support), and is based on eight indicators of academic performance, including growth and proficiency in English Language Arts and Mathematics.
The 2022 designations for District 97 schools are listed below. We are proud to share that two of our buildings—Mann and Whittier—achieved Exemplary status, which is granted to schools that are performing in the top 10% of schools statewide and have no underperforming student groups.
- Exemplary: Mann and Whittier
- Commendable: Beye, Brooks, Hatch, Holmes, Irving, Julian, Lincoln, Longfellow
Additionally, our district reached an overall participation rate of 95% last year on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR)—an increase from 90% in 2019. This was a district-wide focus last year, as our participation rate impacts our reported proficiency levels, summative designations, and progress on the Equity Journey Continuum. Higher participation rates also provide us with important information as we work to design learning experiences that meet the academic needs of each student.
Moving forward, District 97 staff will be digging deeper into our schools’ data to identify strengths and areas of opportunity. This includes reviewing data from our peer districts and the new Equity Journey Continuum, which is a key priority for our district and is aligned to the goals in District 97 Board of Education’s Policy 7:12 - Ensuring Racial and Educational Equity.