County boasts 118 winners
Even though both the state and the majority of Lake County school districts failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), more than half of individual public schools achieved AYP, according to school report card data released today.
A total of 2,253 of the 3,806 public schools in the state and 118 of the 187 public schools in Lake County made AYP. The number of Lake County schools achieving AYP was higher last year by 12 schools.
"The fact is it's still difficult. A building (school) can make AYP one year and not reach it the following year," said Regional Superintendent of Schools Roycealee Wood.
Lake County's highest-achieving schools outperformed the state average by as much as 30 points, according to school report card data released today.
Deerfield High School bested the state's composite Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE) by more than 30 points. Deerfield scored a composite 88.4 while the state had a 53.
Lincolnshire-Prairie View School District was only 2.3 points away from a perfect Illinois State Achievement Test score, besting the state composite score by about 20 points.
"In all honesty, the scores are excellent -- we couldn't be happier. As a district that doesn't like to rest on its laurels, the district believes these numbers only tell part of a story," said Katrina Bruley, Lincolnshire-Prairie View School assistant superintendent for instruction.
While the district's overall scores are strong, she said they are focusing attention on improving extended-response questions.
A handful of schools are showing general overall improvement.
Statewide, 53 schools and nine districts are in improvement status and will advance next year if they make AYP again. Three of those schools were in Lake County: Gavin South Jr. High, Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Waukegan, and Barrington High School.
Some schools were removed from academic improvement status because they achieved AYP for two consecutive years. Statewide, it was 39 schools, two of which are in Lake County: Novak-King Sixth Grade Center in North Chicago and Stanton Elementary School in Fox Lake.
"The area of primary concern was reading, as it is in many school districts ... Scores for students improved as a result of the hard work of the teachers in these areas," said Fox Lake District 114 Associate Superintendent Sandra Schuenemann.
