School Report Cards

School Report Cards

October 30, 2009

Dear Parents/Guardians,

In accordance with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), states must provide notification to parents of students in districts that are identified for improvement because the district did not make adequate yearly progress. (See 20 U.S.C.$ 6316 © (7)). This communication acts as the notification to meet this federal requirement.

The Illinois State Board of Education asks us to distribute this letter and the 2009 AYP Status Report data to you. The data identifies why the district did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP). Under NCLB and state law, for a district to make AYP:

i. 70% of the district’s students (as a whole, and for certain subgroups) must exceed the state’s targets in math and reading on state assessments;

ii. 95% of the district’s students (as a whole, and for certain subgroups) must participate in state assessments for mathematics and reading; and

iii. The district’s students (as a whole, and for certain subgroups) must meet a 90% attendance rate for grade schools and a 78% graduation rate for high schools.

The Adequate Yearly Progress Report will show you how all of our students and our subgroups are performing. These subgroups are defined according to the No Child Left Behind Legislation as follows: White, Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American, and Multiracial-Ethnic, Limited English Proficient, Students with IEP’s, and Economically Disadvantaged. If we have more than 45 children in a particular subgroup their scores are reported in the Adequate Yearly Progress Report.

While 81.9% of our students met or exceeded in Reading and 87.2 % of our students met or exceeded in Math, we did not make adequate yearly progress with one of our subgroups in the area of reading. With the understanding that AYP is an important measure of student learning, it is important to remember that a district that does not make AYP should never be considered a “failing” district. One of the most important goals of NCLB is to identify the areas where improvement is needed. Teaching and learning is an on-going process that changes constantly to meet the unique needs of all students and communities.

To ensure that all students are meeting reading benchmarks, District 124 is now implementing a multi-tiered system of early intervention services beginning with universal screening for all students. Any student, that falls below the expected grade level benchmarks, will receive additional support in reading utilizing scientifically based research materials that specifically matches each child’s individual needs.

We have a talented and dedicated staff that will continue to work to help all of our children succeed!

Sincerely,

Kathleen Hatczel

Assistant Superintendent

Curriculum and Assessment