Is Northwestern Junior High School a good school?

Northwestern Junior High School ranks in the bottom 14.3% of Illinois middle schools.

How many students attend Northwestern Junior High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 52 students attended Northwestern Junior High School.

What is the racial makeup of Northwestern Junior High School?

Students at Northwestern Junior High School are 98% White, 2% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Northwestern Junior High School attend?

Students who attend Northwestern Junior High School usually go on to attend Northwestern High School

Northwestern Junior High School

Summary:

Northwestern Junior High School is a small public middle school serving grades 7-8 in Palmyra, Illinois, with a student population of just 54 students. The school is part of the Northwestern CUSD 2 district, which is ranked 656 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite its small size, Northwestern Junior High School has consistently underperformed compared to state averages on standardized tests in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. In the most recent school year, only 0% of 7th graders and 25% of 8th graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to state averages of 42.5% and 49.9%, respectively. The school's performance in Math is also significantly lower, with just 13.6% of 7th graders and 7.1% of 8th graders being proficient or better, compared to state averages of 28.7% and 28.1%. Additionally, the school has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 0% in 2019-2020 to 23.3% in the most recent school year.

When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Carlinville Middle School and North Mac Middle School, Northwestern Junior High School performs significantly worse on standardized tests and has higher rates of chronic absenteeism. This suggests that the school may need to implement more effective strategies to improve student outcomes and address the unique challenges faced by its student population, which includes a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

Detail:

Public 7-8

30889 Route 111
Palmyra, IL 62674-6303

(217) 436-2011

District: Northwestern CUSD 2

SchoolDigger Rank:
1168^th of 1,363 Illinois Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,034

Students who attend Northwestern Junior High School usually attend:

High:

Northwestern High School

Feeder schools for Northwestern Junior High School:

Elementary:

Northwestern Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.8

Number of students: 52

Racial breakdown:

White:

98.1%

Two or more races:

1.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 40.4%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Northwestern Junior High School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Northwestern Junior High School ranks worse than 85.7% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.39. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (98.1%), two or more races (1.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 40.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Northwestern Junior High School is 12.8. (See more...)

Compare Northwestern Junior High School employs 4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Northwestern Junior High School is $17,034.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Northwestern Junior High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Northwestern Junior High School 1168^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Northwestern Junior High School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Male students:

White students:

Northwestern CUSD 2:

SchoolDigger ranks Northwestern CUSD 2 656^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Northwestern Junior High School

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Rank History for all students at Northwestern Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	63.31	483^rd	1185	59.2%
2004	71.48	364^th	1204	69.8%
2005	74.21	335^th	1209	72.3%
2006	72.62	351^st	1272	72.4%
2007	59.45	612^th	1287	52.4%
2008	57.14	668^th	1293	48.3%
2009	75.59	297^th	1318	77.5%
2010	59.15	636^th	1327	52.1%
2011	68.43	461^st	1344	65.7%
2012	57.64	653^rd	1365	52.2%
2013	81.33	214^th	1367	84.3%
2014	67.76	398^th	1322	69.9%
2015	26.83	955^th	1302	26.7%
2016	52.94	548^th	1294	57.7%
2017	40.01	742^nd	1293	42.6%
2018	30.71	884^th	1293	31.6%
2019	24.90	1025^th	1356	24.4%
2021	21.92	988^th	1241	20.4%
2022	22.41	1057^th	1369	22.8%
2023	48.98	608^th	1367	55.5%
2024	17.39	1168^th	1363	14.3%

See the entire list of Illinois Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Northwestern Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	32.06	817^th	1161	29.6%
2019	27.31	950^th	1217	21.9%
2021	32.69	691^st	1019	32.2%
2022	29.89	888^th	1221	27.3%
2023	55.73	432^nd	1234	65.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Northwestern Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	68.12	331^st	1275	74.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Northwestern Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	31.62	860^th	1296	33.6%
2021	16.75	942^nd	1048	10.1%
2022	18.99	1072^nd	1286	16.6%
2023	28.78	886^th	1292	31.4%
2024	18.54	1066^th	1264	15.7%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Northwestern Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	14.86	810^th	889	8.9%
2019	8.63	879^th	905	2.9%
2021	12.21	766^th	813	5.8%
2022	9.29	866^th	898	3.6%
2023	28.84	661^st	895	26.1%
2024	7.41	847^th	875	3.2%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for Northwestern Junior High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	72	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	72
1990	67	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	67
1991	62	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	62
1992	59	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	59
1993	76	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	76
1994	68	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	68
1995	87	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	87
1996	87	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	87
1997	83	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	84
1998	78	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	78
1999	79	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	79
2000	70	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	71
2001	56	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	56
2002	56	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	56
2003	56	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	56
2004	62	1	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	64
2005	54	3	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	60
2006	49	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	49
2007	55	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	55
2008	65	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	66
2009	53	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	55
2010	42	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	2	45
2011	38	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	41
2012	51	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	51
2013	62	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	62
2014	68	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	68
2015	56	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	57
2016	45	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	45
2017	43	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	43
2018	42	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	42
2019	50	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	51
2020	45	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	45
2021	38	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	38
2022	42	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	43
2023	52	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	54
2024	51	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	52

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Northwestern Junior High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	72	6.0	12.0	n/a
1990	67	6.0	11.1	n/a
1991	62	6.0	10.3	n/a
1992	59	8.0	7.3	n/a
1993	76	7.0	10.9	n/a
1994	68	5.0	13.6	n/a
1995	87	5.0	17.4	n/a
1996	87	5.0	17.4	n/a
1997	84	4.0	21.0	n/a
1998	78	4.0	19.5	n/a
1999	79	5.0	15.8	n/a
2000	71	4.0	17.8	n/a
2001	56	3.0	18.7	n/a
2002	56	2.0	28.0	33.9
2003	56	2.0	28.0	33.9
2004	64	3.0	21.3	42.2
2005	60	2.0	30.0	45
2006	49	2.0	24.5	40.8
2007	55	1.0	55.0	58.2
2008	66	1.0	66.0	60.6
2009	55	6.0	9.2	41.8
2010	45	6.0	7.5	51.2
2011	41	6.0	6.8	53.7
2012	51	6.0	8.5	62.7
2013	62	3.7	16.7	50
2014	68	n/a	n/a	57.4
2015	57	5.0	11.4	63.2
2016	45	4.0	11.2	48.9
2017	43	4.9	8.6	58.1
2018	42	5.5	7.6	66.7
2019	51	5.5	9.2	62.7
2020	45	4.3	10.3	60
2021	38	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	43	3.5	12.2	74.4
2023	54	4.2	12.7	44.4
2024	52	4.0	12.8	40.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Northwestern Junior High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	72	6.0	12.0	n/a
1990	67	6.0	11.1	n/a
1991	62	6.0	10.3	n/a
1992	59	8.0	7.3	n/a
1993	76	7.0	10.9	n/a
1994	68	5.0	13.6	n/a
1995	87	5.0	17.4	n/a
1996	87	5.0	17.4	n/a
1997	84	4.0	21.0	n/a
1998	78	4.0	19.5	n/a
1999	79	5.0	15.8	n/a
2000	71	4.0	17.8	n/a
2001	56	3.0	18.7	n/a
2002	56	2.0	28.0	33.9
2003	56	2.0	28.0	33.9
2004	64	3.0	21.3	42.2
2005	60	2.0	30.0	45
2006	49	2.0	24.5	40.8
2007	55	1.0	55.0	58.2
2008	66	1.0	66.0	60.6
2009	55	6.0	9.2	41.8
2010	45	6.0	7.5	51.2
2011	41	6.0	6.8	53.7
2012	51	6.0	8.5	62.7
2013	62	3.7	16.7	50
2014	68	n/a	n/a	57.4
2015	57	5.0	11.4	63.2
2016	45	4.0	11.2	48.9
2017	43	4.9	8.6	58.1
2018	42	5.5	7.6	66.7
2019	51	5.5	9.2	62.7
2020	45	4.3	10.3	60
2021	38	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	43	3.5	12.2	74.4
2023	54	4.2	12.7	44.4
2024	52	4.0	12.8	40.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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