The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released the 2021 Illinois Report Card today at www.IllinoisReportCard.com. As part of ISBE’s multipart rollout of the Illinois Report Card this year, the information released today does not include assessment data.

However, the data that was part of today’s release does demonstrate a continued trend increase in Peoria Public Schools in graduation and 9th grade on track rates, tremendous participation in college and career preparation courses, and the highest level of teacher retention in the last seven years.

Despite the challenges to in-person learning last school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Peoria Public Schools high school students earned a 76% graduation rate in the 2020-2021 school year. This figure builds upon a continuing upward trend in graduation rates in PPS, increasing by 5% from the 2019 graduation rate and 11% from the 2015 rate. We are also proud that graduation rates across our district’s different demographic breakdowns all show increases from the 2018-2019 school year, including a 5% increase among Black students and a 11% increase among Hispanic students.

(Note: ISBE has designated that data from the 2019-2020 school year may show artificially higher metrics due to the state waiving certain graduation requirements in response to the emerging threat of the COVID-19 virus. Data from the 2018-2019 school year are a closer comparison point for the Report Card data released today).

In another key indicator for student achievement, the district’s 9th Grade on Track percentage climbed to 84% at the end of the 2020-2021 school year – an increase of 11 percentage points from 2019.

Principals at our three high schools – Peoria High, Manual High and Richwoods High – have worked tirelessly to show progress in these benchmarks reflected in the Illinois Report Card data.

Additionally, almost 750 high school students, or nearly one-third of high school students across Peoria Public Schools, took dual credit, Advanced Placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate courses in the 2020-21 school year. In addition, the district had an impressive 1,650 students enrolled in at least one Career and Technical Education (CTE) course.

Peoria Public Schools has built a reputation for rigorous studies through its high participation in AP and dual credit courses. High school students at PPS also have multiple opportunities to accelerate their education further with the renowned International Baccalaureate program and the D2 Diploma-Degree program, where 15 PPS students across all three high schools graduated with a high school diploma and an Associate’s Degree from Illinois Central College this past May.

I am also proud to highlight the fact that Peoria Public Schools teachers realized an average teacher salary of $62,000 during the 2020-2021 school year, which is a $12,000 increase since 2015. This is a richly deserved reflection of their passion, talent and dedication toward our students. Attracting and retaining a diverse staff of teachers continues to be a top priority for Peoria Public Schools. Our retention rate for teachers increased by more than 2% since the last school year and is at its highest mark in the last five years at 81.5%.

The Illinois Report Card once again did not issue new annual summative designations with that waiver extending through the 2020-2021 school year that this Illinois Report Card release reflects. Each school received the same summative designation in 2021 as in 2020 and 2019.
You can find the 2021 Illinois Report Card information for all of the schools in our district at www.IllinoisReportCard.com. I can confidently say that this year’s Report Card data reflects that Peoria Public Schools remains a local and statewide leader in providing innovative programming and personalized learning to prepare students for the modern workforce upon graduating.

Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat
Superintendent, Peoria Public Schools

Peoria Public Schools offers a multitude of before and after care programs and supports for students and families. Below is a listing of these alternative supports and programs for families to reference, broken down by grade level and building.

We encourage our families to learn more by calling your principal or the district offices at 672-6512.

Primary:

1. Before and After care:

Northmoor                 7 a.m. Open – 5:30 p.m. Close
Kellar                        7 a.m. Open -- 5:30 p.m. Close
Charter Oak              7 a.m. Open -- 5:30 p.m. Close
Dr. Maude Sanders    7 a.m. Open -- 6 p.m. Close
Dr. C.T. Vivian           6:30 a.m. Open -- 6 p.m. Close (Programming through YMCA)
Franklin                    6:30 a.m. Open – 6 p.m. Close
Whittier                    7 a.m. Open – 5:30 p.m. Close
Hines                       7 a.m. Open – 6 p.m. Close

2.  Acellus – Online resource

Middle:  

1. Justice Advocates
2. Various clubs (chess, math counts, etc.)
3. Robotics
4. Various sports boys and girls (basketball, volleyball, etc.)
5. Acellus – online resource

Von Steuben Middle School – Federal Grant – 21^st Century
Before School – 7 a.m. – 8:05 p.m. – Academic support and tutoring only
After School – 2:50 p.m. – 5:10 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday

K-8 buildings:

Harrison Community Learning Center
Federal Grant - Ready Set Go after school until 5 p.m.

Trewyn School
Federal Grant - 21st Century is offered - 2nd-8th graders (Mon.-Thurs.)
Unity Point In-School Health Clinic
Latchkey 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Roosevelt Magnet School
Federal Grant - Ready Set Go after school until 5 p.m.
Latchkey – Morning Only

Lincoln K-8
Morning Latchkey - 6:30 a.m. Open
School Within a School
Federal Grant - 21st Century is offered to 2nd-8th graders until 6 p.m. – Mon.- Thurs.
Various afterschool programs until 6 p.m.

Glen Oak Community Learning Center
Federal Grant - 21st Century is offered to 5th-8th graders – after school until 5:30 p.m., Mon.-Thurs. Potentially Boys & Girls Club (parents need to check BGCA offerings)

1. Various clubs (chess, math counts, etc.)
2. Various sports boys and girls (basketball, volleyball, etc.)

High School:

1. Federal Grant - Lights On, Peoria (MHS and PHS)
2. Robotics
3. Justice Advocates (MHS, PHS)
4. Knoxville Center for School Success – weekdays (8 a.m. – 2 p.m.) Weekends (9th-12th grade) (Noon – 5 p.m.)
5. Knoxville Center Evening at Manual (3 p.m. – 6 p.m.)
6. Knoxville Center Evening at Peoria High (3 p.m.– 6 p.m.)
7. Peoria High North – Options program
8. Edgenuity – online resource
9. Unity Point In-School Health Clinics (MHS & PHS)

Other:

1. Wraparound Center:

• Food assistance - Hand-up Food Pantry
• Student assistance - Family Core Respite Services, anger management program, justice advocates, and probation services
• Case management -Family Core Caseworker when available
• Legal services -Attorney Yolanda Riley in-house and when applicable PSLS for referrals
• Employment and job training programs- Jobs Partnership & Goodwill
• Counseling & Case management - OSF Trauma Services
• Drug evaluation & counseling services - Chestnut Health services
• Heartland Health - available for referrals

2. SEL Supports (Number of staff):

• Elite (Lincoln & Glen Oak) – 7 staff members
• Family Core – 15 staff
• Children’s Home – 11
• SEL aides – 19
• SROs - 25
• Counselors (2 for K-8, 5-8, HS) - 28
• Social Workers - 24
• Psychologists – 14.5
• Home School Facilitator - 2
• ISS/Calming Room Facilitator
• Behavior Specialist (K-8)
• Board Certified Behavior Analyst (K-8)

3. Nurses – 23
4. Day Treatment (ED Special Education Students (3rd -12th) – 8:20 a.m. – 2:50 p.m.
5. Day Treatment Evening – 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
6. Family Core Respite (1-3 days ages 8 and up)
7. Game Changers (5th – 9th) – 36 students currently
8. Parents as Advocates
9. Career Coaches – currently working with 90 students
10. Internships -- Lights On, Peoria – 15 (12 lifeguard training, 3 clerical training for our schools)
11. Hult - Youth Health Education (i.e., sexual health programming, healthy heroes, peer pressure/decision making related to drug use, etc.)
12. Center for Prevention of Abuse - age-appropriate programming on "keeping my body safe”
13. Music Therapy – Dr. C.T. Vivian Primary School in the round, Rolling Acres Developmental Center and Jamieson School.