Pantagraph.com | News | Farmer City school wins state award for academic growth

NewsThursday, November 29, 2007 9:11 AM CST

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Farmer City school wins state award for academic growth

By Kelly Youngblood
fcjournal@mchsi.com

FARMER CITY — Schneider Elementary School in Farmer City has been recognized by the state for its academic achievements.

The Illinois State Board of Education awarded Schneider the 2006 Academic Improvement Award.

The award is based on Illinois Standards Achievement Test data showing steady growth in third grade math and reading scores from 2004 to 2006.

“We received this current award because our overall ISAT scores for those years, the scores of all students who met or exceeded (state standards), rose by over 10 percent,” Principal Susan Wilson said.

Wilson attributed the school’s achievement to several factors, including the hard work and dedication of both the district as a whole and the staff at Schneider.

“We’ve worked really hard as a district for our curriculum to be aligned to state standards. We make an effort to use research-based teaching methods and we work really hard to maximize our learning time,” Wilson said.

“We just have a great staff and community and everybody works together and makes the school great,” she added.

In 2004, 80.6 percent of students met or exceeded standards; in 2005, 82.6 percent did; and in 2006, 91 percent of students met or exceeded standards.

Schneider was one of 650 elementary schools throughout the state to receive the award.

This is the second state award Schneider has received in the last few years. In addition, the school was given the U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Award for academic improvement in 2004.

Wilson said the school will hold a small presentation recognizing the award at the Dec. 10 holiday program for kindergartners and first-graders.

A web page also has been devoted to Schneider Elementary and can be viewed by going to www.ilhonorroll.niu.edu/ilhonorroll/index.asp and click on “2006 awards.”

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Reader comments on this story - 2 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Aunt wrote on Nov 29, 2007 11:19 AM:

" Schneider Elementary does have a great staff. Farmer City should be proud! Congratulations! "

Andrew wrote on Nov 29, 2007 6:26 AM:

" Congratulations to all the teachers, staff and administrators. We are lucky to have such a fine school in our community. Thank you for all your hard work. "

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