By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

SPRINGFIELD — Five Jefferson County Schools have received recognition from the Illinois State Board of Education with Spotlight, Academic Improvement and Academic Excellence Awards.

Bethel Grade School, Grand Prairie Grade School and Ina Grade School received Spotlight Awards; Woodlawn Community High School received an Academic Improvement Award and Belle Rive Grade School received an Academic Excellence Award.

Spotlight Schools are high poverty schools where high academic performance is closing the achievement gap, according to information from the ISBE. Statewide, 499 schools were chosen for Spotlight School Awards. Criteria is rigorous, with all schools chosen making adequate yearly progress and at least half of the students from low-income families and at least 60 percent of the students must be passing the state achievement tests in both reading and mathematics.

�Spotlight Schools demonstrate that low-income students and schools with limited resources can show impressive academic performance,� information from the ISBE states. �These schools know how to help all students succeed.�

Bethel Grade School has 65.3 percent low income students. In 2006, 81.1 percent of its students were meeting or exceeding standards based on ISAT testing; in 2007, 73.7 students were meeting or exceeding; and in 2008, 77 percent of students were meeting or exceeding standards. The school made Adequate Yearly Progress in both 2007 and 2008.

�I think probably the best way to describe the awarding of a Spotlight School is a lot of hard work,� Bethel Superintendent Craig Kujawa said. �It goes from the teachers to the students and families and includes the board of education and administration.�

Grand Prairie Grade School has a 74.1 percent low income student attendance. In 2006, 79.7 percent of its students met or exceeded ISAT standards; in 2007, 79.1 percent; and in 2008, 87 percent of its students were at the meet or exceed category in reading and math. The school made AYP in both 2007 and 2008.

Ina Grade School has a low-income rate of 57.8 percent. In 2006, 74.1 percent of its students were meeting or exceeding standards on ISAT tests in reading and math; in 2007, 83.3 percent were meeting or exceeding; and in 2008, 66 percent were meeting or exceeding. The school made AYP in both 2007 and 2008.

Ina Grade School Superintendent Sandra Gilliam said being named a spotlight school is, �very exciting.

�Everybody works hard together, students, parents and staff,� Gilliam said. �We want to give the students the best that we can give them.�

One school in Jefferson County earned the Academic Improvement Award. Wood-lawn Community High School earned the award, along with 152 other schools in the state, ranging from grade schools to high schools.

According to the ISBE, Academic Improvement Awards honor those schools which have achieved substantial gains in student performance over the last several years, regardless of the number of students who are meeting or exceeding standards. Academic Improvement Awards acknowledge �substantial progress� at any level.

In 2006, Woodlawn High School had 49 percent of its students meeting or exceeding standards; in 2007, 50 percent were meeting or exceeding; and in 2008, 60 percent of its students were meeting or exceeding.

�I think it�s a very good class of students that was tested and the teachers worked very hard with the students to prepare for the Prairie State Achievement Exams,� Woodlawn High School Principal David Larkin said. �It�s a long-term process that comes from the grade schools on up.�

Belle Rive Grade School was one of 388 schools in the state that were honored with an Academic Excellence Award.

Academic Excellence Award schools have sustained very high academic performance over at least three years, according to information from ISBE. To be honored, schools have to have at least 90 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards in reading and math for three consecutive years, and all have made AYP for the last three years.

Belle Rive, with a student population of 44.9 percent at low income, had 93.4 percent of its students meeting or exceeding standards in 2006; in 2007, 95 percent; and in 2008, 97 percent of students were meeting or exceeding standards.

�I think we have to totally recognize our staff for this [award],� Opdyke-Belle Rive Superintendent Dr. John Wheatley said. �They are conscientious and dedicated to improving academic instruction for our students. I also have to thank [Belle Rive Principal Elaine] Hemker for holding everyone accountable in terms of her rapport with the students and the community and all the hard work she does. They deserve all the credit.�

Wheatley said Hemker has �set the bar� for the Opdyke staff to achieve.

�We know as students get older there are social and emotional changes that take place,� Wheatley said. �We like to think we�re doing well with the upper level classes. We�re not far behind Belle Rive, and as our students grow academically in the district, we expect our students to continue high levels of achievement from kindergarten through eighth grade.�

Statewide, there were 296 elementary and kindergarten through eighth grade schools which received Academic Excellence Awards; 24 middle schools; and 14 high schools.