Peoria Public Schools received improved scores in annual Illinois report card

Leslie Renken, Journal Star
·2 min read

PEORIA – Peoria Public Schools got better marks on the Illinois State Board of Education’s annual Illinois Report Card this year.

Nine schools received improved designations, compared with only four in 2019, and 56% of PPS schools were rated "commendable" or higher, compared with only 39.1% in the 2018-2019 school year.

Charter Oak Primary School and Reservoir Gifted Middle School were deemed exemplary schools, which puts them in the top 10% of schools statewide. Three schools located in the poorest areas of the city – Franklin Primary School, Harold B. Dawson Jr. Middle School, and Manual High School – were elevated from the lowest designation to "commendable," meaning they had no underperforming student groups, a graduation rate greater than 67%, and were not in the top 10% of schools statewide.

More:From 1960s to now, Peoria's gifted program a continuing success in education

District Superintendent Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat celebrated the improvements in a statement issued by the district.

“I am very proud of the work of my staff, parents, and community. We are bringing our students closer to their full potential by re-imagining literacy, mathematics, SEL, high school graduation, attendance, freshman on track, career pathways, advanced learning, and much more. We have come a long way,” she said.

The district says it plans to continue building upon the success with a variety of initiatives. One program is aimed at improving the high school graduation rate, currently 80%, by allowing students to work at their own pace and at times convenient to them. Another program is aimed at improving the district's attendance through home visits and interventions.

More:Do gifted Peoria students miss out on educational programs because of where they live?

PPS administrators have also implemented programs to support struggling families in a district where 77% of students are living in low-income households.

Leslie Renken can be reached at (309) 370-5087 or lrenken@pjstar.com. Follow her on Facebook.com/leslie.renken.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria schools fared better in annual Illinois report card