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Dear Kankakee School District 111 Families,
Each fall, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) releases school designations through the Illinois Report Card. These designations describe how well each school is meeting the academic needs of all its students. The state takes into account much more than test scores. For example, ISBE examines our student academic proficiency and growth, attendance, graduation rates, English learner progress, and overall school climate. The intent of these five designations, described below, is to celebrate schools that are excelling and provide extra support where it’s needed most.
  • Exemplary: Overall performance in the top 10 percent of all schools in the state.
  • Commendable: Overall performance not in the top 10 percent of all schools and have no underperforming student groups at or below the “all students” group of the lowest-performing 5 percent of schools in the state.
  • Targeted:One or more student groups performing at or below the “all students” group of the lowest-performing 5 percent of schools in the state.
  • Comprehensive: Overall performance in the bottom 5 percent of Title I-eligible schools in the state.
  • Intensive: A school that has completed a full comprehensive support school improvement cycle, but whose performance remains in the lowest-performing 5 percent of Title I-eligible schools statewide or is a high school with a graduation rate of 67 percent or below at the end of the four-year improvement cycle.
This year, we are proud to celebrate notable growth and movement across our district schools:
  • Kankakee High School earned a Commendable designation, showing continued progress in student achievement and graduation outcomes.
  • Steuben Elementary School and Lincoln Cultural Center also earned Commendable designations, reflecting gains in student growth.
  • Although Mark Twain Primary School, Taft Primary School, and John Kennedy Middle Grade School remain Comprehensive,they have made gains in multiple areas and will continue to receive targeted support on literacy and math.
  • Kankakee Junior High School moved from Intensive to Targeted with an emphasis on supporting students with disabilities.
  • King Middle Grade School, although still Targeted, closed gaps among students identified as Black/African American and our English Language Learners.
  • Edison Primary School is currently identified as Intensive, meaning they continue to receive strong state and district support after completing a full improvement cycle.
  • Proegler School does not receive a designation because it serves primarily early learners.
While designations offer one important snapshot of school performance, they do not tell the full story of our students’ daily successes or the dedication of our educators. In one year, we have seen steady improvements in student growth, attendance, and teacher collaboration, thanks to the tireless efforts of our teachers, staff, students, and families who work together each day to create strong and vibrant futures for our students.
As your child’s Superintendent, I can attest to the commitment I see demonstrated by your child’s school leaders, teachers, and staff every single day. We remain committed to continuous improvement and to the belief that every child deserves access to a high-quality education. Our district-wide efforts from literacy across all content areas and teacher clarity to attendance initiatives and instructional coaching are working and together, we will continue building upon this momentum.
You can view your child’s school designation and learn more about how these designations are determined by visiting www.IllinoisReportCard.com. Remember, Hope Starts Here!
With Gratitude
Teresa A. Lance, Ed.D
Superintendent
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