Geneseo High School and Millikin Elementary have been named among the best schools in Illinois after receiving “Exemplary” status from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), which released its annual Illinois Report Card on Thursday.
The Illinois Report Card shows how the state, and each school and district, are progressing on a wide range of educational goals. It offers a robust picture of student and school performance to inform and empower families and communities as they support their local schools.
The designation of “Exemplary” means that GHS and Millikin are among the top 10% of schools in Illinois. According to ISBE, there are approximately 3,058 elementary or middle schools, and 665 high schools in the state.
In addition to overall performance in the top 10% of all schools, exemplary status is defined by ISBE by having “no underperforming student groups at or below the ‘all students’ group of the lowest-performing 5% of schools” and high schools having a graduation rate higher than 67%.
Geneseo High School’s five-year graduation rate is 97.5%, while the state average is 88.8%.
“These outstanding results are a credit to the hard work of our students and staff, and they should be applauded,” stated Dr. Adam Brumbaugh, Geneseo’s superintendent. “The findings of the Illinois Report Card show that despite the many challenges the pandemic presented, our district is in excellent shape academically and we continue to progress.
“They also further validate some of the changes we’ve made over the last couple of years,” Brumbaugh continued. “They show that providing additional resources such as instructional coaches and Math interventionists, becoming more collaborative as a staff, and dedicating more time to professional development are working and ultimately benefiting our students.”
Geneseo’s other schools—Geneseo Middle School, Northside Elementary and Southwest Elementary—received “Commendable” ratings, meaning they are not in the top 10% overall but have “no underperforming student groups at or below the ‘all students’ group of the lowest-performing 5% of schools.”
“We are extremely proud of the educational experience we offer our students from their kindergarten to senior years,” said Brumbaugh. “At the same time, we’re constantly searching for ways that we can improve and enhance it. We’re certainly fortunate to have a wonderful community that is so supportive.”
For more information on Geneseo Community Unit School District #228’s Illinois Report Card, visit IllinoisReportCard.com.