A Message from Superintendent Laurie Heinz
October 31 is the traditional day for the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to release its annual state report cards that show how students across the state are progressing on a wide range of educational goals. District 64 community members can share a sense of pride in the academic progress of our students, the high quality of our teaching staff, and the outstanding and varied educational opportunities offered to all students to learn and grow.
This year’s Illinois report cards offer an expanded look at districts and schools. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides the opportunity for districts and schools to build on existing strengths and to close academic achievement gaps. With the 2018 report cards, ISBE is beginning its comprehensive implementation of ESSA as required by the federal government.
In alignment with ESSA, new features of the interactive 2018 Illinois Report Card include a summary dashboard for each school and its summative designation, along with several new data points related to the designation. ISBE has created four levels for its designation (Exemplary, Commendable, Underperforming, and Lowest Performing), and will award funding and support services to underperforming or lowest performing schools.
To calculate a school’s designation, the ISBE uses a range of academic and student success data. Academic indicators comprise 75%, while student success indicators comprise 25%. More information on the indicators may be viewed on this chart.
All District 64 schools were placed in the “Commendable” level for 2018. According to ISBE, approximately 70 percent of schools received the “Commendable” designation. You may view the 2018 District 64 report cards at this link.
District 64 will present a more comprehensive review of our 2017-18 student achievement, including our District’s Illinois Report Card, at the November 12, 2018 Board of Education meeting. Please join us at 7:00 p.m. at Washington School to learn more about this important topic.
Your partner in education,
Dr. Laurie Heinz, Superintendent