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District 200’s multi-faceted effort to improve student achievement is paying off with higher scores on the state’s testing program. Dr. Margo Sorrick, Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services, told the Board of Education Wednesday that student achievement increased overall on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) and the Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE) and, importantly, that the achievement gap between high and low performing students is closing on both assessments.
“This is good news for District 200 students because they are learning at higher levels,” Superintendent Gary T. Catalani said Wednesday. “It is also good news for the District because all of our elementary schools and middle schools met the achievement requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).”
Last year two schools did not meet those requirements and were required to offer parents the option of attending other District 200 schools. Both schools were able to increase achievement in identified subgroups this year and thus meet all of the requirements of NCLB. Dr. Catalani credited the school improvement process and the work of teachers, staff, principals and the District’s Educational Services Department for the improved scores.
Both District 200 high schools failed to meet NCLB requirements because two of their subgroups did not meet or exceed the state standards in math and/or reading at the percentage required by law. The school improvement plans at both schools target individual students and identify strategies to help them meet the standards in the future. NCLB requires 47.5 percent of all subgroups with 45 or more students to meet state standards or the entire school is labeled as not making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
On this year’s tests, some 90 percent of the subgroups increased their reading scores on the ISAT, while 81 percent increased their scores in math. Sixty-seven percent of the subgroups increased their scores in reading on the PSAE, while 50 percent increased their scores in math.
“We are reaping the benefits of years of hard work by our teachers, principals and administrative team to improve student achievement,” Dr. Sorrick said, noting that all curricula is articulated and aligned to state standards, local assessments are in place in most core content areas, instruction is targeted for identified students, data are used to determine which students receive additional support, and entry into support programs is consistent across the District.
In eleven subjects and grades tested by ISAT and PSAE, scores increased in seven, remained the same in three, and declined in one by only one percentage point.
During the 2005-06 school year, the District will continue to fine tune its efforts to help all students learn at higher levels. Each school has analyzed its demographic and achievement data and developed an improvement plan with specific goals and strategies to help all students meet the Illinois Learning Standards.
“The schools know who needs help and they have plans to provide it,” Dr. Sorrick said. “The District also has an improvement plan with goals to provide schools with the resources and programs they need to improve instruction in reading and math. “
School and District improvement plans, along with the state report cards detailing demographic and achievement data, will be posted on the District 200 web site at www.cusd200.org by the end of October. Those wishing paper copies of the reports can download them from a computer or request a copy from the District office at 682-2464.
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