NIU Outreach worked with the ISBE to establish criteria, identify winners of the awards, and administer the Illinois Honor Roll, which is divided into three recognition categories - Spotlight Schools; Academic Excellence and Academic Improvement. Each award has unique criteria that best reflects the diverse circumstances of Illinois schools.

The 2007 honor roll roster includes elementary, middle and high schools and represents 382 school districts statewide. A number of districts have multiple schools named to the Honor Roll, including: City of Chicago 299, 279 schools; Elgin U-46, 32 schools; Springfield District 186, 19 schools; Rockford School District 205, 18 schools; Decatur District 61, 15 schools; Waukegan Community Unit School District 60, 14 schools; Joliet Public School District 86, 13 schools; Peoria District 150, 11 schools; West Aurora School District 129, 10 schools; and East Aurora District 131, 10 schools.

Other 2007 Illinois Honor Roll facts:

• At all of the 607 Academic Improvement Award schools, the number of students meeting or exceeding standards increased by at least 7.5 percent over one year or 15 percent over two years.
• In 2007, 29 schools won the Academic Improvement Award for a third time, and 223 schools won the award in both 2006 and 2007.
• 40 Spotlight schools earned the distinction for a fourth time.
• 42 Academic Excellence schools sustained their long-term high achievement and won a fourth award in 2007. 46 schools are being recognized for the third time (2005-2007) and 29 for the second time (2006-2007).
• 30 Academic Improvement Award schools raised scores by more than 30 percentage points over two years.
• 71 Academic Excellence elementary schools showed increases in scores over last year, even though they started at a baseline above 90 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards.
• 83 percent of Illinois Honor Roll schools made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), as defined by the federal No Child Left Behind legislation, thus ensuring that all students increased their academic knowledge and skills.

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The fastest growing area of operations spending is for health care.  Illinois state government, like most other public and private entities, has realized substantial increases in medical costs.  Since Fiscal Year 2002, the state has seen an increase of 56.4% or almost $500 million in group insurance spending. 

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