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GreatSchools Rating

Plank Junior High School

Public | 6-8 | 852 students

Last modified
Community Rating

4 stars

Community Rating by Year
2013:
No new ratings
2012:
Based on 1 rating
2011:
No new ratings
2010:
Based on 3 ratings

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28 reviews of this school


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Posted May 29, 2012

I enjoy attending this school for many reasons. As far as education goes, I am aware that the teachers do not give up easily; they are very motivationial, aspiring, and unique in their own ways. They share their experiences to make the classes more fun. I love the community, because there is little or no bullying that happens. There is a wide range of diversity, both from the students and teachers. The only negative is the counselors. I have gone to most of them, and their advice is neither helpful, nor is it encouraging. I suggest not seeking advice from these counselors. Otherwise, this is a great school. I look forward to my two years to come.


Posted May 18, 2010

Both of my children have gone to Plank and we have had a wonderful experience there. Sad to leave the school and go on to high school. Great teachers and staff!! Love them!!!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted May 14, 2010

Our son has enjoyed his time at Plank. He has experienced many wonderful teachers.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 21, 2010

Our school has excellent teachers and staff that care very much about the students!! I feel very comfortable contacting anyone at Plank Jr. High about any concern I have and I know that my concern will be addressed quickly and completely! My son has excelled at everything he has tried since becoming a student at Plank and I hope that he can continue to have the opportunities not only in the classroom but also in his extra curricular activities to enjoy his Jr. High School years and to be able to spend them with this wonderful staff of Principal, Teachers, Coaches and volunteers!!! Go Plank Pirates!!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 20, 2010

The teachers seem interested in helping the children understand their lessons...
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 20, 2010

The principal is the greatest and has the best teachers.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 20, 2010

The school is always committed in creating activities to enhance parents and kids relationship. Working together keep them (kids) far from problems.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 19, 2010

The teachers, administration and support staff are great! They care about the overall well-being of each student.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 19, 2010

Plank Junior High has a great education environment. The teachers really support the children and their ability to grow and learn.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 19, 2010

I love Plank Jr. High because of the wonderful families and staff. It is a very close community that supports one another. The staff at Plank are easy to talk to and the communication lines are always open. The quality of education these children receive is among the best I have seen.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 19, 2010

First of all the staff and principal are fantastic! Also what I love about this school is the communaication School to home is wonderful......
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 19, 2010

Plank is a wonderful junior high school! The staff works well together and really cares about the students.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 19, 2010

The reason I love Plank Junior High is becuase they have a great support Staff, especially when it comes to their Special Ed Dept. I can truely say that without the support of the Special Ed Dept, my son wouldn't have been able to be as sucessful as he is today. My son and I have many special memories with Plank Junior High, and I am going to miss all of the staff that has made such a difference in my son's life when he graduates this year. My family is so blessed to have had the opportunity to come in contact with such a great school. Go Plank!!!!!!!!!!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 19, 2010

We moved from Iowa 3 years ago when my son was in 7th grade and he was overwhelmed with how welcome he felt the very first day. The staff was great! The students were great! I just can't say enough about the effort made to make everyone fit in.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 18, 2010

Plank has many course offerings to challenge kids who advance a little faster, and some amazing individuals amongst the teaching staff to implement great things. They also have an amazing band program, outstanding sports coaches, and a caring environment.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 17, 2010

The teachers are incredibly talented and are very caring...they do an excellent job!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 17, 2010

Plank is a great school. It goes beyond a just a school with staff and students, it is more like one big family; a place where you would want your child to be every day.


Posted April 16, 2010

I like the interventions - the school is kept very CLEAN. Many teachers are great communicating with me via email
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 16, 2010

Plank Junior High School is filled with a group of teachers, administrators, assistants that provide a very caring, comfortable, fun and teachable environment.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 16, 2010

Education is not the only thing available but many options for bonding with students of all grade levels, teachers as mentors, and volunteer parents. The availability of extracurricular activities is expansive. There is always something going on promoting educated and bonding fun.
—Submitted by a parent


Community ratings and reviews do not represent the views of GreatSchools nor does GreatSchools check their accuracy or verify the reviewers' identities. Use your discretion when evaluating these reviews.

About these ratings

The Community Rating is the school’s average rating from its community members (e.g., parents, students, and school staff). The highest possible rating is five stars; the lowest is one star.

The test results by subgroup show how the designated group of students is performing in comparison to the general population.
Math

The state average for Math was 85% in 2012.

852 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
85%

2011

 
 
86%

2010

 
 
87%

2009

 
 
86%
Reading

The state average for Reading was 82% in 2012.

850 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
80%

2011

 
 
89%

2010

 
 
85%

2009

 
 
89%
Scale: % meeting or exceeding standards

About the tests


In 2011-2012 Illinois used the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) to test students in grades 3 through 8 in reading and math, and in grades 4 and 7 in science. The ISAT is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Illinois. The goal is for all students to score at or above the state standard.

See Illinois' state standards

Source: Illinois State Board of Education

Math

The state average for Math was 85% in 2012.

852 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
83%

2011

 
 
83%

2010

 
 
86%

2009

 
 
85%
Reading

The state average for Reading was 78% in 2012.

850 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
79%

2011

 
 
83%

2010

 
 
84%

2009

 
 
80%
Science

The state average for Science was 80% in 2012.

264 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
79%

2011

 
 
85%

2010

 
 
87%

2009

 
 
85%
Scale: % meeting or exceeding standards

About the tests


In 2011-2012 Illinois used the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) to test students in grades 3 through 8 in reading and math, and in grades 4 and 7 in science. The ISAT is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Illinois. The goal is for all students to score at or above the state standard.

See Illinois' state standards

Source: Illinois State Board of Education

Math

The state average for Math was 85% in 2012.

852 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
84%

2011

 
 
86%

2010

 
 
84%

2009

 
 
81%
Reading

The state average for Reading was 86% in 2012.

850 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
85%

2011

 
 
89%

2010

 
 
88%

2009

 
 
84%
Scale: % meeting or exceeding standards

About the tests


In 2011-2012 Illinois used the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) to test students in grades 3 through 8 in reading and math, and in grades 4 and 7 in science. The ISAT is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Illinois. The goal is for all students to score at or above the state standard.

See Illinois' state standards

Source: Illinois State Board of Education

Math

All Students85%
Female85%
Male85%
Black70%
Asian100%
Hispanic73%
Multiracial95%
Native Americann/a
White91%
Low income73%
Non-low income91%
Students with disabilities (IEP)56%
Students without disabilities90%
English language learners33%
Migrantn/a

Reading

All Students80%
Female86%
Male74%
Black70%
Asian92%
Hispanic64%
Multiracial76%
Native Americann/a
White88%
Low income63%
Non-low income87%
Students with disabilities (IEP)42%
Students without disabilities86%
English language learners24%
Migrantn/a
Scale: % meeting or exceeding standards

About the tests


In 2011-2012 Illinois used the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) to test students in grades 3 through 8 in reading and math, and in grades 4 and 7 in science. The ISAT is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Illinois. The goal is for all students to score at or above the state standard.

The different student groups are identified by the Illinois State Board of Education. If there are a small number of students in a particular group in a school, the state doesn't report data for that group.

See Illinois' state standards

Source: Illinois State Board of Education

Math

All Students83%
Female81%
Male86%
Black69%
Asian100%
Hispanic71%
Multiracial83%
White90%
Low income71%
Non-low income89%
Students with disabilities (IEP)39%
Students without disabilities91%
English language learners40%
Migrantn/a

Reading

All Students79%
Female81%
Male77%
Black69%
Asian75%
Hispanic66%
Multiracial83%
White88%
Low income66%
Non-low income86%
Students with disabilities (IEP)39%
Students without disabilities87%
English language learners21%
Migrantn/a

Science

All Students79%
Female79%
Male79%
Black75%
Asian92%
Hispanic59%
Multiracial83%
White88%
Low income64%
Non-low income86%
Students with disabilities (IEP)32%
Students without disabilities88%
English language learners27%
Migrantn/a
Scale: % meeting or exceeding standards

About the tests


In 2011-2012 Illinois used the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) to test students in grades 3 through 8 in reading and math, and in grades 4 and 7 in science. The ISAT is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Illinois. The goal is for all students to score at or above the state standard.

The different student groups are identified by the Illinois State Board of Education. If there are a small number of students in a particular group in a school, the state doesn't report data for that group.

See Illinois' state standards

Source: Illinois State Board of Education

Math

All Students84%
Female87%
Male81%
Black69%
Asian90%
Hispanic73%
Multiracial88%
Native Americann/a
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islandern/a
White92%
Low income76%
Non-low income88%
Students with disabilities (IEP)47%
Students without disabilities91%
English language learners47%
Migrantn/a

Reading

All Students85%
Female88%
Male83%
Black69%
Asian90%
Hispanic75%
Multiracial81%
Native Americann/a
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islandern/a
White93%
Low income70%
Non-low income93%
Students with disabilities (IEP)47%
Students without disabilities93%
English language learners29%
Migrantn/a
Scale: % meeting or exceeding standards

About the tests


In 2011-2012 Illinois used the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) to test students in grades 3 through 8 in reading and math, and in grades 4 and 7 in science. The ISAT is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Illinois. The goal is for all students to score at or above the state standard.

The different student groups are identified by the Illinois State Board of Education. If there are a small number of students in a particular group in a school, the state doesn't report data for that group.

See Illinois' state standards

Source: Illinois State Board of Education

Breaking down the GreatSchools Rating

GreatSchools Ratings are based on the most recent standardized test results for schools. Use the breakdown ratings below to compare types of students at this school. Learn more »


Student ethnicity

Ethnicity This school State average
White 57% 53%
Hispanic 28% 21%
Black 13% 19%
Asian/Pacific Islander 3% 4%
American Indian/Alaska Native 0% 0%
Source: NCES, 2008-2009

Student-teacher ratio

  This school District averageState average
Students per FTE teacher 18N/A17
Source: NCES, 2008-2009
Notice an inaccuracy? Let us know!

510 Secretariat Ln
Oswego, IL 60543
Phone: (630) 551-9400

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