Hillcrest High School’s Positive Progress in Academic Success

Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills is experiencing significant academic progress as the 2026-27 school year begins. In the 2025-26 school year, the District 228 school reported a 99% freshman OnTrack rate and 99% course pass rates for both semesters. Additionally, the school’s graduation rate climbed to 91% from last year’s figures.

School authorities attribute this success to their consistent efforts over the past five years. They have focused on strengthening student success by forming grade-level teams, increasing support staff, and enhancing relationships between students and teachers. Five years back, the school concentrated on improving support for freshmen. Recognizing its effectiveness, they decided to extend similar support to all grades.

We looked at all the success we started to see at the freshman level, and we were like, ‘Why shouldn’t we do this across all grades,’

Colin Milton, Associate Principal for Student Success

Hillcrest now offers specialized learning centers for each grade level. These include a freshman learning center, a sophomore learning center, an academic center for upperclassmen, and a digital center for students needing credit recovery. The student success team oversees these centers, each staffed with a coordinator, part-time tutors, and full-time professionals.

Ronald Towner, Assistant Superintendent for Personnel in High School District 228, noted that Power School software provides staff with access to students’ academic data. This access enables the staff to support students effectively. Hillcrest has around 80 staff members dedicated to helping students succeed.

Associate Principal Jim Curtin mentioned that monthly school improvement meetings involve all staff, where they identify students facing challenges. The student success team examines data and student progress before these weekly meetings. This approach ensures students who may have been overlooked are given attention.

Aside from academic achievements, Hillcrest has reduced major disciplinary incidents by 77%. Major incidents include offenses like drug use and fights. Curtin noted that understanding students’ home lives and setting higher expectations improved behavior outcomes.

As we raise the expectations for kids, they just keep on meeting those expectations or surpassing them,

Jim Curtin, Associate Principal

The school’s comprehensive strategy has also led to a 26% improvement in attendance over five years. Rather than viewing academics, attendance, and behavior separately, officials consider the interplay of these factors in shaping student success.

That was always sort of a light bulb moment as a teacher, when you found out what a child might have been going through outside our building,

Ronald Towner, Assistant Superintendent

Principal Eric Washington expressed pride in the staff’s dedication over the past five years. He acknowledged the achievements while emphasizing continued efforts to improve student outcomes.

“Everyone in this building has put in a lot of hard work over the past five years to achieve the success we’ve had. However, there is more to be done. We are happy, but we are not satisfied,” Washington said.