Many schools better, but not good enough state report says

By DAVID FITZGERALD - dfitzgerald@nwherald.com

Indian Prairie Elementary School teacher aide Sharon Schill (left) spends time with fourth-grader Erin Bowen reading Maggie and Max. Indian Prairie had some of the highest marks of any elementary school in McHenry county on the state standardized tests in reading and math. (H. Rick Bamman – hbamman@nwhearld.com)

Just as the threshold for meeting adequate yearly progress has gone up each year, so has the number of local schools that failed to meet that goal.

Forty schools and 14 out of 19 school districts in McHenry and northern Kane counties did not make adequate yearly progress in 2009, according to data released Thursday by the Illinois State Board of Education. That is an increase of 10 schools and two school districts from last year.

Gene Goeglein, McHenry County regional superintendent, said the jump didn’t surprise him.

“As they keep raising the bar, and each year that percentage goes up, eventually you’ll get to that spot where all schools fail to make AYP,” Goeglein said.

All public school students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 take state assessment tests each year as required by the No Child Left Behind Act. In 2009, at least 70 percent of students in a school or district had to meet or exceed state standards on the test to make AYP. But that number goes up by 7.5 percent every year.

In addition, subgroups such as economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, and students learning English

also must meet the 70 percent threshold for reading and math for a school or district to make AYP.

If one subgroup failed to make AYP, the entire school failed.

“The goal always has to be to strive for perfection, but I know that’s not attainable,” Goeglein said. “But if you don’t have that as a goal, you’re not going to get there.”

In Woodstock District 200, two schools that failed to meet AYP last year – Olson Elementary and Creekside Middle – both met it this year. But Dean Street Elementary, which met AYP last year, didn’t make it this year, said George Oslovich, an assistant superintendent with the district.

“As the cut score gets higher, we’re finding more and more of our sub-groups are unable to meet AYP,” Oslovich said.

And while more schools failed to meet AYP locally than in years past, many schools – even ones that failed – had their highest scores ever.

Carpentersville District 300 posted its best scores to date, the new report card data shows.

“We have scored our highest ever, both in reading and in math, ... yet we have 10 schools not meeting adequate yearly progress,” said Carol Cooper, the district’s director of assessment.

Similarly, Crystal Lake High School District 155 saw jumps in its overall scores, as well as in its sub-groups, but still failed to meet AYP as a district.

“We saw increases in overall populations in both reading and mathematics, as well as our respective sub groups,” said Scott Kubelka, the district’s director of curriculum and assessment.

Reading scores surged in McHenry District 15, said Joe Lehnen, the district’s assistant superintendent for learning services. The district also posted its highest scores ever, but three out of its eight schools failed to meet AYP.

Schools across the area have implemented new curriculum and teaching methods, as well as rolled out teacher training programs and tutoring programs to help boost test scores.

In McHenry High School District 156, a new instructional model is helping put all of the teachers on the same page in regards to curriculum and instruction to help boost learning and test scores, Assistant Superintendent Gina Swinney said.

“We believe this will pay dividends across the board,” Swinney said.

But with schools cutting their budgets in the face of declining revenues, some are having to get creative to improve scores.

District 200 has a 10-year-old elementary reading curriculum, Oslovich said. Instead of replacing it, district leaders are looking at its deficiencies and trying to address those to save money.

“We’re using our money a little more strategically and wisely,” he said.

Regional Superintendent Goeglein said he expected to see even more schools fail to meet AYP next year, as the threshold goes up another 7.5 percent and schools across the state increase class sizes because of funding cuts.

But, he said, a decreasing budget is not a good excuse for falling test scores.

“We need to keep working more effectively,” he said. “And find what works.”

MORE LINKS

View state summary PDF of school reports

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