Frank C. Whiteley School
A U.S. Department of Education
No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School
 Frank
C. Whiteley School was named a No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon
School by the U.S. Department of Education in fall 2003, the first
year the award was presented on the basis of specific eligibility
requirements. The NCLB Blue Ribbon program honors public and private
K-12 schools that are either academically superior in their states
or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement.
NCLB Blue Ribbon recipients are “national models of excellence
that others can learn from,” according to U.S. Secretary of
Education Rod Paige. To participate in the application process,
schools had to meet specific standards of performance and be nominated
by the state. The Illinois State Board of Education nominated Whiteley
because its student achievement on the Illinois Standards Achievement
Tests (ISATs) was in the top 10 percent in the state.
Frank C. Whiteley School, located in Hoffman Estates, serves a
diverse K-6 student population of approximately 700 students. The
school is home to the largest group of Japanese-speaking students
and families in District 15, and the only district school to
have a Japanese-language teacher to provide native language support
to Japanese-speaking students. However, many other ethnic groups
also are represented in the school population, with students speaking
26 different languages or dialects.
Whiteley is a bilingual kindergarten center for the district—students
in the bilingual English-Spanish kindergarten program are assigned
to Whiteley from outside the school’s regular attendance area.
The school also houses a multi-age gifted and talented class for
students in grades three and four, and a self-contained program
for students in grades one through six who have been identified
with behavioral or emotional disabilities.
Among attributes that enabled Whiteley to earn Blue Ribbon recognition
are:
- Frank C. Whiteley students achieve at high levels on state and
national assessments. Detailed test results are available on the
District 15 website (see State
Report Card).
- Whiteley enjoys strong parent and community support. Volunteers
provided more than 15,872 hours of service to assist students
and teachers during the 2003-04 school year, and the PTA provides
a wide array of programs and activities for children and parents.
- The school is closely connected with the community. Involvement
includes a partnership with Harper College to provide English-as-a-Second
Language classes for parents during the school day and with Fremd
High School and local universities and colleges to give student
teachers and interns the opportunity to gain valuable experience.
Students are encouraged to become involved and be leaders in their
school and community, often working hand-in-hand with various
organizations in the Hoffman Estates community on environmental
and community projects.
- Technology is an important and integral part of instruction.
The school has a full computer lab, multiple computers in all
classrooms, and wireless laptop computers for student use.
- Whiteley offers a broad range of extracurricular activities,
sponsoring more than 20 activities and clubs for students to participate
in during the school year.
Frank C. Whiteley is one of seven District 15 schools to have
received the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon designation
over the past several years.
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