Schools and school districts across Illinois will be subject to a rating system that was recently signed into law and is scheduled to launch this school year. The system will grade the schools and districts much like students taking a traditional classroom test are graded, on a 100-point scale with labels ranging from "exemplar" to "unsatisfactory." 30 percent of a school or district's score will depend on student achievement and academic progress. That will include state exam scores and graduation rates. The other 70 percent will be based on things like family involvement, school atmosphere and decision-making that involves administrators, teachers and students.
The state may need to get federal permission for the rating system because it doesn't focus more on academic measures.