About

Stevenson High School, officially dedicated in November 1965, was described by Superintendent Dr. Harold Banser as being "born of conflict, nurtured by adversity and destined for greatness." Before its establishment, students from the area attended Ela-Vernon High School in Lake Zurich. However, by 1964, disagreements over the school's direction emerged between the western and eastern sections of the district, particularly regarding the focus on college preparation.

In response, the eastern section voted to build a new high school in Prairie View, leading the Lake Zurich area to secede in June 1965 and establish its own school district. With just months before the start of school, Stevenson's area faced challenges: an unfinished building, no school board or administration, and no faculty.

The inaugural District 125 Board of Education, comprising seven community members, grappled with naming the new school. Initially considering "Tamarack High School," they later opted for "Adlai E. Stevenson High School" in July 1965, honoring the recently deceased Adlai E. Stevenson II, a prominent statesman despite initial concerns over political affiliations.

Stevenson High School opened on September 7, 1965, with 467 students and 34 teachers. The school faced numerous challenges — classrooms lacked desks, the library was empty, and athletic facilities were nonexistent. However, through collective effort, students, teachers, and community members persevered, overcoming initial obstacles.

Stevenson High School has transformed its educational culture by prioritizing success and opportunity for all students, moving away from a focus solely on the "best and brightest." This shift began with the District 125 Board of Education using the federal report A Nation at Risk and hiring Dr. Richard DuFour as principal as catalysts for change.

Central to this reform was addressing the question, "What do we do when students don’t learn?" This led to initiatives like the Student Services Division’s "Pyramid of Interventions," offering support through policies such as full-time tutoring and improved teacher-counselor communication.

Stevenson also revamped its academic structure, adopting six-week grading periods for more frequent progress updates. The Freshman Mentor Program was introduced to ease ninth-graders' transition to high school.

In promoting academic rigor, Stevenson aimed for broader enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) courses. The school board set a goal for every student to take at least one AP exam before graduation, a target that now sees nearly 90% of students gaining college-level experience. Despite increasing enrollment, AP exam scores have consistently remained high, mirroring steady improvements in ACT and SAT scores.

The school also enhanced its co-curricular offerings, recognizing their positive impact on student achievement. Today, Stevenson boasts nearly 200 clubs and athletic teams, reflecting a robust engagement beyond the classroom.

Dr. Richard DuFour, pivotal in these reforms as principal from 1983 to 1991 and later as superintendent until 2002, continued to champion educational reform nationally until his passing in 2017.

Stevenson's academic success brought challenges by the late 1990s, prompting the formation of a task force to address growing student competition. Key recommendations included discontinuing traditional honors like valedictorian and salutatorian, which had been introduced in the late 1970s, and eliminating class rank. These changes aimed to foster a balanced approach to education, encouraging students to pursue rigorous coursework while exploring diverse interests beyond core subjects.

Since the 1980s, Stevenson has been recognized as a model professional learning community. This approach emphasizes collaboration among faculty and innovative methods to assess teaching effectiveness. Teachers developed "SMART" goals — specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound — enhancing instructional quality and fostering professional growth.

In 2008, Education Week highlighted Stevenson's adoption of the professional learning community model. The article underscored how teachers met regularly in course-specific or interdisciplinary teams to improve teaching strategies, create common assessments, and refine lesson plans. Collaboration extended beyond formal meetings, with open office areas facilitating ongoing dialogue among colleagues.

Team structures at Stevenson are organized around academic disciplines, providing leadership opportunities for teachers to guide team activities. This framework supports professional development tailored to team needs and influences the hiring process, ensuring alignment with the school's collaborative culture and educational philosophies. Stevenson's commitment to internal promotion further reinforces its cohesive educational environment.

Stevenson High School's history has been shaped significantly by its enrollment challenges. From 1965 to 2005, the student body grew steadily, experiencing a decline in enrollment only twice during this period. The peak enrollment of 4,573 students in the 2005-06 school year marked a high point before a subsequent eight-year decline. However, enrollment has since rebounded.

To accommodate the expanding student population, Stevenson underwent extensive campus expansions. Originally occupying 113,000 square feet, the school significantly increased its footprint. In 1995, a $25 million project introduced the 60-classroom East Building, along with the Performing Arts Center, Patriot Aquatic Center, and Technology Center.

The 1995 expansion followed a community referendum three years earlier, where residents opted to enhance Stevenson rather than establish a second high school. This decision reflected 52% in favor of maintaining Stevenson as the district’s sole high school, with 48% supporting a new facility.

Since then, Stevenson's academic performance has remained strong despite enrollment growth. This sustained academic excellence contributed to community support for a 2002 referendum to increase the education tax rate, which received nearly 70% approval. The resulting financial stability has allowed Stevenson to avoid additional referenda.

Looking ahead, Stevenson anticipates further enrollment increases, projected to reach 4,900 students by 2030. Additional expansions, including enhancements to the East Building and the creation of the Patriot Wellness Center, aim to support both academic and holistic student needs.

Stevenson's achievements have garnered national recognition, including five Blue Ribbon Awards for Excellence in Education from the U.S. Department of Education in 1987, 1991, 1998, 2002 and 2019 and the New American High Schools Award in 1998. Consistently ranked among the top high schools by Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, and Niche, Stevenson has fulfilled its vision since 1965 as a school "destined for greatness" through collaborative effort and dedication.