Palos 118 Students Achieve High Marks in Latest State Report Card

Palos School District 118 students performed well compared to their peers on the most recent Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) test which measures English Language Arts (ELA) and math proficiency. The school district had the highest scores in math and second-highest scores in ELA in South Cook County.

All Palos 118 schools performed in the top 10% of all elementary schools in the state in ELA and near the top 10% in math.

Palos South Middle School performed particularly well with students placing in the top 5% in the State of Illinois in ELA and math performance was among the top 10% in the state.

Palos School District 118’s Superintendent of Schools Dr. Anthony Scarsella said that student performance reflects the District’s long-standing tradition of high achievement and excellence.

“It comes as no surprise to me that Palos South Middle School continues to be one of the highest performing middle schools in Illinois,” he said, crediting the District’s talented and dedicated staff as well as engaged and supportive families, and a responsive school board for helping students to continue to learn despite the many challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic.

Dr. Scarsella noted the District was not taking time to rest on its laurels and is currently in the process of completing the first phase of a new strategic plan that will help guide the future successes of the District’s students. Throughout the month of January, the school district is hosting community informational sessions and stakeholder focus groups to learn about the school community’s aspirations for its Palos South Graduates

Dr. Scarsella said that he is “fortunate to work with a school board committed to providing opportunities for our entire school community get involved in planning for the future of Palos 118” and is looking forward “to continuing these engaging conversations in the weeks ahead.”