7258 Rfd
Long Grove, IL 60060

For context of my review, I am a recent alum that is now in college. It has great academic opportunities: various AP courses in various subjects, college prep advisors, etc. However, the school culture is also competitive. There is a feeling of "if you aren't taking several AP classes, you aren't smart". Comparing classes, grades, and college choices with peers is normal and in some cases harmful. Stevenson is pretty safe, only a few incidents that I know of when I was a student. The advisors are not great, so I would suggest students to look at what path they want to take (ex: not all colleges need 4 years of science, but might need 4 years of social studies). I think that I was well prepared for college, several of my classes that I took freshman year I found easier than the courses I took at Stevenson. The good thing about Stevenson being so large is that there are lots of clubs and ways to get involved socially. There are also various cultural clubs and events for those who want to take part. I look back fondly at my time at Stevenson, but know that extreme competitiveness socially, academically, and in sports is normal here.

I would rate my experience an A+. There are very dedicated, motivated teachers and a very top-notch administration (from principal to the superintendent, finance person, IT, & curriculum development team). Their dual language program provides an exceptional opportunity for students to become bilingual and benefits both native English and native Spanish speakers. The scores do not accurately reflect the quality of this school. It reflects issues in the standardized testing methods. For example, take two similar kids with their native language being the only difference. If they’re both given a standardized test in English (one of the hardest languages to learn). The native English speaker will score significantly higher than the native Spanish speaker. If you test them later on, when they are bilingual, their scores will be more reflective of the quality of their education. Seeing as the two high schools these students end up at are rated 9s & 10s, it demonstrates how well these students are prepared to succeed in high school. Those scores are move reflective of the final output from this school. The low scores are simply punishing schools with higher Latino populations.

Great teachers who care about their students and not the money. They are dedicated everyday to helping their students learn and get the best grades possible. The band and math program is really good.

A wonderful school with caring teachers and a warm environment. My child loves learning here and feels supported every day. The staff truly makes education fun and meaningful!