Oswego Middle Schools Ranked Among Best In State: U.S. News

OSWEGO, IL — Several elementary and middle schools in Oswego have been ranked among the best in Illinois, according to a brand-new ranking released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

For the inaugural list, U.S. News published rankings and data on more than 80,000 public elementary and middle schools across the United States.

Schools are ranked at the state and district levels. The best charter schools and best magnet schools ranked as stand-alone categories. In Illinois, 2,038 elementary schools and 1,243 middle schools were scored and included in the list.

U.S. News ranked Young Magnet High School in Chicago as the best middle school in the state and its district, City of Chicago School District 299, according to the new list. Skinner North Elementary School, located in Chicago, is ranked first among elementary schools in the state.

Here’s a look at how other schools in Oswego School District 308 ranked compared with others in the state:

• 212: Bednarcik Junior High School
• 390: Wolfs Crossing Elementary School
• 422: Murphy Junior High School
• 470: Traughber Junior High School
• 632: Grande Park Elementary School
• 707: Plank Junior High School
• 710: Homestead Elementary School
• 740: Thompson Junior High School

To determine the rankings, U.S. News used data from the U.S. Department of Education to analyze two areas at each school:

• Math and reading proficiency — or how well students perform on state assessments.
• Math and reading performance — or how well they perform compared with expectations.

The state assessment data used in the rankings is from the 2018-19 school year and, therefore, predates any effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on test-taking.

Schools were also ranked by district. Wolfs Crossing Elementary School was ranked first among elementary schools in District 308, while Bednarcik Junior High School ranked first among middle schools in the district.

Here’s how other elementary and middle schools in District 308 measured up. U.S. News separately ranked elementary and middle schools in a district.

• 2nd place: Grande Park Elementary School and Murphy Junior High School
• 3rd place: Homestead Elementary School and Traughber Junior High School
• 4th place: The Wheatlands Elementary School and Plank Junior School
• 5th place: Churchill Elementary School and Thompson Junior High School

Nationally, California has 5,534 ranked elementary schools — the most of any state — followed by Texas at 4,446; New York at 2,211; Florida at 2,128; and Illinois at 2,038 schools.

California also has the most ranked middle schools with 2,319, followed by Texas at 1,942; Illinois at 1,243; New York at 1,219; and Florida at 997.

See the complete list of 2021’s Best K-8 Schools.

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