The Illinois State Board of Education in partnership with Northern Illinois University delivers three kinds of awards to recognize schools that demonstrate exemplary academic performance. These awards make up the Illinois Honor Roll.


Spotlight-Illinois Honor Roll    The Spotlight Schools awards honor high poverty, high performing schools where at least 50% of students are classified as low-income and at least 85% passed (met or exceeded standards on) the state reading and mathematics tests. All Spotlight Schools made Adequate Yearly Progress and sustained their performance over the past three years.
See Spotlight Schools for more information.


Improvement    The Academic Improvement Awards recognize schools that have sustained an upward trend in test scores for at least three years and showed a 7.5 point increase this year or a 15 point increase in test scores over the past two years.
See Academic Improvement Awards for more information.


Excellence    The Academic Excellence Awards recognize sustained excellence in elementary schools where 90% of students pass the state tests for at least three years, and high schools where 85% of students pass the state tests for at least three years. All of these schools made Adequate Yearly Progress for at least three years.
See Academic Excellence Awards for more information