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When it comes to helping families obtain a great education for their child, we believe in the power of information. We strive to give parents access to rich data to support their child through every stage, from choosing the right school to reaching important learning milestones to being prepared for college and career.

Parents tell us they want to understand what is happening in schools so they can find enriching learning environments where their children will thrive. But we’ve long known that traditional measures of school quality, such as test scores and student progress data, only tell part of a school’s story.

Our 2024 Thrive Awards in Illinois

That’s why we’re excited to announce our 2024 Thrive Awards. First awarded in 2021, the Thrive Awards are a first-of-its-kind recognition for public schools in Illinois that have learning environments specially designed for improvement. We selected award-winners based on student and teacher responses to a that assesses a school’s leadership, teaching culture, academics, family engagement, and learning environment — factors that research has shown contribute to student success. The results of the survey give us an overview of a school’s climate — information that’s important for families to understand but not easy to find. Here’s why it’s matters for your child:

Strong leaders

Principals set the tone for a school’s culture. When principals work with teachers and parents toward a common school vision, everyone benefits. Most importantly, when teachers feel supported by their leaders they can focus on doing what they do best: teach.

Collaborative teachers

Collaboration and trust among colleagues weaves into the fabric of a classroom. Having motivated, happy teachers who are in sync with one another is the basis for a positive classroom atmosphere.

Ambitious instruction

All students deserve access to challenging courses to stimulate their minds, develop critical thinking skills, build confidence, and prepare them for the future. Taking on big projects and working with peers to navigate critical math, reading, and writing challenges fosters strong relationships and positions them to succeed in the real world.

Engaged families

Parents are an integral part of a child’s learning and development. When a school creates opportunities for parents to participate in decision-making, it strengthens trust and allows parents and teachers to partner in improving student learning.

Supported students

All students experience academic highs and lows — as they should, since making mistakes and experiencing failure are big ways that students learn. But having a school environment where they feel safe, nurtured, and challenged instills confidence to bounce back from challenges and excel even beyond graduation.

This is an exciting milestone in our quest to deliver parents the best and most robust information to support their children’s education. But our work is not finished until all parents, in all states, have access to this kind of data. And so we will persist, urging additional states to heed the calls of parents looking to understand more about the school environments entrusted to educate their children.

See the full list of Thrive Award winners and learn more about how we selected them.