Four District #7 Schools Earn Exemplary Designation on 2025 Illinois Report Card

EDWARDSVILLE, ILL. - The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released the annual Illinois Report Card at www.illinoisreportcard.com today. The Report Card provides a detailed look at student performance data from the 2024-25 school year and shows how schools are progressing on a wide range of educational goals. 

One component of the School Report Card is the annual summative designation – a descriptor of how well our schools are meeting the needs of all students. The designations recognize schools with strong overall performance across a range of academic and student success indicators. There are five designations a school can receive – Exemplary, Commendable, Targeted Support, Comprehensive Support, or Intensive Support.  

Four District #7 schools received an EXEMPLARY designation by the State of Illinois, including Edwardsville High School, Albert Cassens Elementary, Glen Carbon Elementary, and Goshen Elementary. The district’s other nine schools were all COMMENDABLE.  

“Receiving an exemplary designation on the Illinois School Report Card represents outstanding academic achievement and an unwavering commitment to excellence,” said Acting Superintendent Dr. Allen Duncan. “Having four schools earn this honor demonstrates our district’s collective dedication to high standards, effective teaching, equity, and student success. This recognition reflects the transformative power of collaboration, innovation, and community support in creating an atmosphere that empowers each student to achieve personal success.” 

An exemplary designation places schools in the top 10 percent of public schools in Illinois.  

“Earning an exemplary designation is huge for our school community because it’s something we’ve never done before,” said Edwardsville High School Principal Alex Fox. “It really shows how our staff, students, parents, and district have all come together as a team to push to the next level. The buy-in from everyone is what made this possible.” 

Albert Cassens Elementary Principal Katie Bevis O’Neal shared that her staff’s drive and determination were key to this year’s success. “Last year, we missed an exemplary by just over a percentage point, and that lit a fire under our staff,” she said. “They put in the work to make sure every student had the best opportunity to succeed, and this year there was no question — we exceeded that cut score to be in the top 10 percent of all schools.” 

“This achievement is a reflection of our Glen Carbon community made up of staff and families,” said Glen Carbon Elementary Principal Laura Rogers. “We could not have done this without their support. It’s a team effort, and our goal is to put this success right back into the community by preparing students who will continue to make Glen Carbon a better place.” 

Goshen Elementary Principal Terese Marinelli added, “Earning the exemplary designation means everything to our school and community. It reflects the hard work and dedication of our staff and students each and every day, and the support of our families who are such an important part of this success.” 

Additional highlights from the 2025 Illinois Report Card are:  

• In academic proficiency, students scored 51.1 percent for math compared to the state average of 38.4 percent; 61 percent for science compared to the state average of 44.6 percent; and 59.2 percent in English/language arts (ELA) compared to the state average of 52.4 percent. 

• The ninth-grade on-track rate is 95.4 percent – the highest in the last seven years and above the state average of 89.3 percent.

• The graduation rate is 92.9 percent, above the state average of 89 percent.  

• 1,341 students participated in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, an increase of 35 from a year ago. 

• Chronic absenteeism dropped to 16 percent from 16.7 percent last year and remains below the state average of 25.4 percent.  

• District #7’s overall student attendance rate was 93.6 percent compared to the state average of 91.8 percent. 

• The teacher retention rate is 92.3 percent, compared to the state rate of 89.5 percent. This is the third year in a row where teacher retention has been above 92 percent. 

There were also several highlights reflected through the 5Essentials Survey, including:  

• The first time in the four years that the District did not have a measure to qualify as weak. 

• District #7 had its highest participation rates from stakeholders on the 5Essentials in the last four years. 

• The District increased every 5Essentials measure with the two largest increases coming in Effective Leaders and Collaborative Teachers. In 2023-24, both measures fell into the weak category. 

At the November Board of Education meeting, the district will present key information from the Illinois School Report Card, highlighting overall school performance and student achievement. The presentation will provide a clear overview of academic strengths and growth areas. 

View the district’s complete Illinois Report Card data at www.illinoisreportcard.com. 


Principal Interviews
Alex Fox, EHS
Katie Bevis-O'Neal, Cassens
Laura Rogers, Glen Carbon
Terese Marinelli, Goshen