Five Urbana School District #116 Schools Receive State Recognition
Illinois Honor Roll Highlights Academic Achievement
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has honored Urbana Middle School, Wiley Elementary, Martin Luther King Elementary, Thomas Paine Elementary, and Leal Elementary Schools for academic achievement in 2007. ISBE, in partnership with Northern Illinois University, delivers three kinds of awards to recognize schools that demonstrate outstanding academic performance. These awards make up the Illinois Honor Roll (http://iirc.niu.edu/).
King, Leal, and Thomas Paine Elementary Schools received a Spotlight School Award that honors high academic achievement in a school where at least 50-percent of the students are classified as coming from low-income families.
Urbana Middle School, King, Thomas Paine, and Wiley Elementary Schools were given Academic Improvement Awards for sustaining an upward trend in achievement test scores for at least three years.
Urbana Middle School Principal Nancy Clinton is proud of the award saying, “I am really excited for our staff and students who have worked so hard to achieve this kind of growth and recognition. I believe that the educational improvements in a school of our size and dynamics are accomplished through collaborative work leading to continuous and steady growth. We have met this standard thanks to dedicated teachers who are willing to work hard and do whatever it takes to get the job done. They are very deserving of this recognition!”
Martin Luther King Principal Jennifer Ivory-Tatum says, “I am glad that the students and teachers are being recognized for all of their hard work. We have worked very hard to build a culture for learning and teaching students to try their very best in all that they do whether school work, behaviorally or socially. It is nice to be rewarded for these efforts.”
Leal Elementary School Principal Spencer Landsman adds, “I'm very proud of our students and really appreciate all the hard work of our staff. The Leal staff goes the extra mile to really know our students and understand their academic needs and then works even harder to meet the needs of each student. This allows all students at Leal to be successful.”
District 116 Superintendent Dr. Preston Williams is proud of the schools’ accomplishments saying, “We understand that this is not the end, but a continuation of excellence that we want to instill in all of our students. It is important when experts recognize our achievements, because it spurs us on to greater heights.”