U-46 schools get gold stars

Northern Illinois University and the Illinois State Board of Education have recognized 33 of 53 Elgin Area School District U-46 schools for academic improvement and achievement.

The awards, announced this month, were for achievement on the 2006 state tests.

The schools received Academic Improvement or Spotlight School awards. Eleven U-46 schools won both.

Improvement awards are given to schools in which the percentage of students meeting state standards in both reading and math increase by more than 7.5 percentage points.

Schools can be named spotlight schools even if they did not meet state and federal standards. The goal of the award is to honor improvement.

Spotlight awards are given to schools with 50 percent of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and 60 percent of students meeting state standards in reading and math.

No U-46 schools won a third type of honor, the Academic Excellence Award, given to schools where at least 90 percent of elementary students or 80 percent of high school students met state standards in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

For the 2006 school year, 447 Illinois schools were named spotlight schools, up from 316 the year before.

Also in 2006, 1,031 Illinois schools were named improvement schools, up from 306 in 2005.

In 2006, Illinois made substantial revisions to the state tests, giving students more time and in some cases lowering the passing score.

• U-46 spotlight schools that also won an academic improvement award: Century Oaks in Elgin, Channing in Elgin, Garfield in Elgin, Harriet Gifford in Elgin, Heritage in Streamwood, Highland in Elgin, Laurel Hill in Hanover Park, Ridge Circle in Streamwood, Sheridan in Elgin, Sunnydale in Streamwood and Washington in Elgin.

• U-46 schools recognized for academic improvement: Canton in Streamwood, Clinton in South Elgin, Creekside in Elgin, Eastview in Bartlett, Ellis in Elgin, Hanover Countryside in Streamwood, Hilltop in Elgin, Huff in Elgin, Kenyon Woods in Sough Elgin, Kimball in Elgin, Larsen in Elgin, Lincoln in Hoffman Estates, Lowrie in Elgin, Ontarioville in Hanover Park, Otter Creek in Elgin, Tefft in Streamwood, Timber Trails in Hoffman Estates, Willard in South Elgin.

• U-46 spotlight schools: Coleman in Elgin, Hillcrest in Elgin, McKinley in Elgin, Parkwood in Hanover Park.