Summary:
The city of Zion, Illinois, is home to 8 schools, including 4 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 2 high schools, serving a diverse student population with high rates of poverty and minority enrollment. While the schools in Zion face significant challenges, such as low academic performance and high chronic absenteeism, there are some standout institutions, like New Technical High - Zion-Benton East, which boasts the highest 4-year graduation rate in the district at 98.8%.
Academically, the schools in Zion struggle, with low proficiency rates on standardized tests compared to state averages. For example, at Zion-Benton Township High School, only 6% of 11th graders were proficient or better in SAT Math, far below the state average of 26.7%. The middle schools face similar challenges, with Shiloh Park Middle School having only 1.4% of 8th graders proficient or better in IAR Math, compared to the state average of 25.7%. These academic struggles are likely exacerbated by high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 15% at New Technical High - Zion-Benton East to 42.6% at Zion Central Middle School.
Despite the overall challenges facing the schools in Zion, there are some notable differences between them. For instance, the student-teacher ratios vary significantly, from 10.7 at Zion Central Middle School to 26.1 at Beulah Park Elementary School. Additionally, the high schools have vastly different graduation rates, with New Technical High - Zion-Benton East outperforming Zion-Benton Township High School by over 12 percentage points. These disparities within the Zion-Benton Township HSD 126 and Zion Education Service District 6 suggest that targeted interventions and resource allocation could help address the challenges facing the schools in this area.
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