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Moving Up From Mediocre
Story posted April 18, 2012
Results:
- 2,400 more students met state academic standards in 2011 than did in 2005
- Nearly 91% of students met state proficiency standards in reading in 2011, up from 76 percent in 2005 (gains in math have been equally as dramatic)
School District 54 in Schaumburg, IL, always viewed itself as a great school district. Unfortunately, student achievement had remained stagnant for several years. Staff members were becoming increasingly frustrated and complained of low morale.
At the same time, the accountability movement exploded and achievement results became fully transparent to the entire community. Staff and parents now could see firsthand how a particular school was doing and began calling for change.
Guiding Light
After a great deal of research, we concluded that a district-wide implementation of professional learning communities (PLCs) was the way for us to go. Several key strategies proved beneficial.
Ambitious Aims
A new mission, ensuring student success, captured the notion that it is our collective responsibility to do whatever is necessary to educate students to achieve at high levels.
Shared Knowledge
The district brought together teacher and support staff leadership teams from all school sites, members of the school board, all building- and district-level administrators and the presidents of the teacher and support staff unions to participate in staff development on PLCs.
Support Structures
School leadership teams meet with the superintendent and cabinet every 90 days to review student achievement data and discuss next steps for moving student achievement forward.
Scheduled Dialogue
District 54’s principals meet regularly in cluster teams to share effective strategies and brainstorm solutions. Schools schedule times that enable grade-level or content-area teams of teacher to meet in their PLCs during the day. Teachers now have an additional 90 minutes on Wednesday afternoons to hold collaborative team meetings.
Fixed Focus
We see professional learning communities as the overarching framework for all school improvement. Because staff members are clear about district expectations, they stay focused on what they need to do to promote student learning.
Turnaround Performance
2,400 more students met state academic standards in 2011 than did in 2005. The district increased its percentage of students meeting state proficiency standards in reading from 76 percent in 2005 to almost 91 percent in 2011. Achievement gains in math have been equally as dramatic.
In fact, at 17 of our 27 schools, at least 90 percent of students met or exceeded state academic standards in reading and math in 2011. This translates into significantly more students experiencing measurable degrees of academic success that will prepare them for success in high school and beyond.
For additional information, please contact:
Nick Myers
Assistant Superintendent of Student Learning, School District 54, Schaumburg, IL
NicholasMyers@sd54.k12.il.us
LFA learned of this story in the American Association of School Administrators’ (AASA) January 2012 School Administrator. Adapted with permission from AASA.
Citation: Nick Myers and Ed Rafferty, (2012, January). Moving Up From Mediocre. The School Administrator, Number 1, Vol. 69, Culture of Collaboration, p. 21-26.
Original story © January 2012 by AASA. View it here.
Image from School District 54
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