Naperville Central was announced as a National Blue Ribbon School on Sept. 23. This is the first in the school’s history.
Central was awarded as an Exemplary High Performing school, meaning their test scores and graduation rates fell within the top 15% of Illinois schools.
“I think most the feeling that comes to mind immediately is gratitude, because I feel like this award is validation of the quality of this educational community,” Principal Jackie Thornton said.
According to the Illinois Report Card, 61.2% of Central’s junior class in 2023 met or exceeded standards in English, compared to 31.6% of students statewide. In mathematics, 57.2% met or exceeded standards, compared to 26.7% statewide. The SAT is used as the state assessment to gauge performance.
Central’s graduation rate was 97.4% in the 2023 school year, compared to 87.6% statewide, landing them in the top 15% of schools state-wide, according to the Illinois Report Card.
“First of all, credit to every single department and what they offer,” said Steve Jeratina, Assistant Principal for Instruction. “Do we have something for every single kid? Students that are looking for the most rigorous classes available at any grade level, to students who might not yet be ready for something like that? Yeah, we have options and courses for students, for anyone from our multi-needs students to our general education population.”
Past test scores, the National Blue Ribbon application process includes a litany of information supplied by the school, including a Strategy for Excellence. Central’s application included the administration’s efforts to build student belonging through the Diversity and Inclusion Board,the Principal’s Advisory Council and ELITE, which was implemented to build connections through student leaders in athletics or activities.
As part of the strategy, the application also included information about the school’s recent addition of student advocacy specialists and the Community Resource Center.
The offer of application was first extended to Central in the winter of last school year, with the “extensive” application due around spring break, according to Thornton.
“I see how hard our educators work on behalf of students every day, and I feel like this is a very public way to validate the quality of the educators at Central,” Thornton said.
