Summary:
The city of Palmyra, Illinois is home to three schools serving students from elementary through high school: Northwestern Elementary School, Northwestern High School, and Northwestern Junior High School. These schools, part of the Northwestern CUSD 2 district, demonstrate a mix of strengths and challenges in their academic performance and student outcomes.
Northwestern High School stands out as the top performer, ranking 343 out of 697 Illinois high schools and earning a 3-star rating. The school boasts a relatively high 4-year graduation rate of 80.8% and excels in science proficiency, with 66.7% of students scoring proficient or better on the ISA Science assessment. In contrast, Northwestern Junior High School has struggled, with its statewide ranking fluctuating between 608 and 1,168 out of 1,363 Illinois middle schools, and only 13.6% of 7th-grade students proficient in Mathematics.
While Northwestern Elementary School outperforms the district and state averages in English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency, the district as a whole faces challenges in these areas, particularly at the secondary level. Additionally, chronic absenteeism rates are high across all three schools, ranging from 14.4% to 24.4%, which may contribute to the academic struggles. The district also exhibits disparities in resource allocation, with Northwestern High School receiving the highest per-student spending and the lowest student-teacher ratio.
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