National Blue Ribbon Schools Program

Adlai E. Stevenson High School was the first public high school in Illinois to receive four United States Department of Education National Blue Ribbon Awards, earning the honor in 1987, 1991, 1998, and 2002.

Stevenson has been one of the leaders in the national Professional Learning Communities movement for the past 25 years. Its focus on a collaborative teaching model has taken on added significance as the school has shifted away from traditional grading practices and toward a standards-based system. The classroom emphasis is now upon growth and mastery of learning and essential standards, rather than memorization and rote recitation of facts and figures. Careful attention to learning standards has energized the Response-to-Intervention (RtI) program which serves students struggling with mastering academic content and skills, social and emotional competencies, or who need help with study skills and executive functioning skills.

Teachers have committed to not only academic growth of their students, but also increasing their students' social and emotional learning. SEL competencies are explicitly taught in the core curriculum, and the school uses nationally recognized survey and data collection tools to measure students' social and emotional health. Faculty examine the data to adjust their curricular and instructional approaches in the classroom. The school has made several major changes to promote student wellness. A later start to the school day, overhauling the food and drink offerings in the cafeterias, and introducing a choice model in physical education classes have all made a positive impact on students.