Quincy Reporter

Community Consolidated School District 181 Board of Education Academic Success Committee met Oct. 10.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

Call to Order

The Academic Success Committee meeting of the Board of Education of Community Consolidated School District 181, DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois, was called to order at 12:01 p.m. by Grace Shin, Board Member and Committee Chair, at noon on October 10, 2024.

On roll call, the following members were present: William Cotter and Grace Shin.

Dr. Kathy Robinson, Kristin Reingruber, Erica Ekstrom, Sara Clary, Chaidan Leshinski, and Recording Secretary Jean Duggan were also present.

Pledge of Allegiance

Grace Shin led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Approval of Minutes

Grace Shin made a motion to approve the minutes from the September 5, 2024, Academic Success Committee meeting. Bill Cotter seconded the motion. All in favor, the motion carried.

Public Comment

No public comment.

Discussion Topics

Math/ELA/ACE Initial Placement Criteria

Kristin Reingruber, Director of Assessment, Instruction, and Evaluation, shared that the Department of Learning (DOL) annually provides a math trajectory that flows from Kindergarten through eighth grade into D86 HS level courses and placement criteria for approval based on student performance in courses.

She noted that when making student placement decisions, it is imperative to consider multiple measures to determine the correct placement. Correct placement of students into Advanced or Accelerated Math, A-ELA, or ACE courses that are challenging yet not frustrating is critical to building a solid foundation in core content areas.

She said that when developing placement criteria, the District reviews multiple measures, including:

● historical placement criteria

● bridge course student performance

● student achievement (trimester/quarter grades)

● additional assistance/support needed

● need for a retake of unit assessments

● data on students who move out of courses during the school year

● feedback from Subject Area Committee members/teachers

Ms. Reingruber shared that the Department of Learning recommended the following enhancements to the 2024-25 placement process:

● The percentiles remain unchanged, but the RIT scores were updated to reflect percentiles for the week of MAP administration.

○ Fall = 2 weeks (vs. 4 in 23-24)

○ Winter = 16 weeks

○ Spring = 32 weeks

● Preliminary notification for math, A-ELA, and ACE will continue in March, with potential movement in the following year.

● NEW for 25-26: Math Bridge Pre-Assessment offered to students who qualify under the initial criteria (top line of placement document).

○ Bridge becomes optional for students who score 85% or higher on the pre-assessment (the new threshold for all bridge assessments.

○ Pre-assessment will be offered on two dates in May 2025

■ May 15 and May 17, 2025

Ms. Reingruber said that the DOL recommends that all courses remain the same.

Initial Placement Criteria

● Math Placement

○ One pathway for placement 2 of 3 MAP scores, district common assessment average, and successful completion of pre or post-bridge assessment with a 85% or higher. If bridge pre assessment is passed with 85%+, bridge becomes optional.

● A-ELA and ACE Placement

○ One pathway for placement (2 or 3 MAP scores, Placement Writing Assessment - PWA)

■ 7th-8th integrates a readiness score

Appeals Process

● The integrated appeals process uses multiple valid and reliable indicators

○ CogAT

■ Math - Nonverbal and Quantitative composite standard age score

■ A-ELA and ACE - Verbal standard age score

○ Additional SPRING data points for consideration

■ Math - End of Course assessment

■ A-ELA and ACE - Placement Literature Assessment (PLA)

● Appeals can be submitted beyond these criteria (within the timeline)

○ The appeals committee employs a fair and equitable decision-making process that includes multiple persons (staff, parents) when evaluating students for final placement decisions

Placement Notes

● Students must maintain a high level of performance in an advanced or accelerated course as reflected in their overall quarter/trimester grade.

● Teachers will collaborate and work with students and parents if a student’s chapter/unit and common assessment average falls below 80%.

● If a student’s chapter/unit and common assessment average falls below 70% for two quarters/trimesters, they will be placed in a course that more effectively meets their learning needs.

● Student placement may be adjusted sooner as determined by the team.

Elementary Math Course Offerings

● Elementary advanced and accelerated course names have been updated to reflect the covered grade-level content. (example: 3rd Advanced is now called 4CC). Elementary Math Course Offerings

Ms. Reingruber shared that the DOL would post all of this information on the website following Board approval.

Ms. Shin commented that most students will still require the Bridge course.

PWA Data Review

Ms. Reingruber presented an update on the Placement Writing Assessment (PWA). She said that the PWA is administered yearly to all D181 fifth-grade students, and is one component utilized in sixth-grade placement for Advanced English Language Arts (A-ELA) and Affective Cognitive Enrichment (ACE).

She explained that the Placement Writing Assessment is:

● Designed as a pre-assessment by William & Mary University

● Measures prerequisite skills necessary to be successful in the middle school A-ELA and ACE courses

● Aligned to Common Core State Standards for writing and literature. The rubric assesses each student’s ability to use claim and opinion writing, support, elaboration, and conclusion.

The PWA is an in-person assessment administered over two days. The assessment is scored by multiple teachers from grades five and six. 2021-2023 PWA Data Review

● The student average PWA score was 16.5 in 2021, increasing to 16.9 in 2022 and 2023, with a high of 18.7 in 2024.

● The percentage of students passing the PWA with a score of at least 20 was 42% in 2021, 35% in 2022, 39% in 2023, and 47% in 2024.

Ms. Shin requested that Ms. Reingruber add the percentages of how many students are in the cohort. Also, she asked that the percentages be placed on the website.

Social Emotional Learning Update

Kristin Reingruber, Director of Assessment, Instruction, and Evaluation, and Ms. Erica Ekstrom, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, presented a K-8 Social and Emotional update for the 2024-25 school year.

Ms. Reingruber began by providing some history and an overarching view of SEL. She said that before the 2024-2025 school year, the D181 MTSS Committee members worked to create a consistent system for identifying student social-emotional needs. During the 2023-2024 school year, K-5 utilized the Satchel Pulse screener to determine the needs of students.

This year, grades 6-8 will also participate in the Satchel Pulse screener. She indicated that the goal for the change is to gather baseline data and resources and develop a District-wide MTSS model for social-emotional learning aligned with Illinois SEL standards and the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL).

She noted that the data that will be collected supports the MTSS Committee in curating and designing a plan for lessons that cover the critical competencies that all students need to be successful in their pursuits. Kindergarten through eighth-grade teachers and third through eighth-grade students will complete the Satchel Pulse screener during October and May. Once the screener is complete, data will be reviewed, parents will be provided results, and interventions will be communicated.

Throughout the school year, teachers will utilize Satchel Pulse resources to teach their students SEL skills. The MTSS Committee has provided resources from the platform for teachers to use during the 2024-2025 school year.

She said that feedback was collected from the MTSS committee regarding last year’s Satchel Pulse pilot. The feedback detailed that Satchel Pulse continues to be a valuable resource for assessing students’ social emotional skills and providing lessons targeted to individual student needs. The goal of the MTSS committee is to have an evidence-based social-emotional curricular resource that supports SEL skill development and academic/school success and incorporates a developmental scope and sequence.

This year, the committee will review research, programs, product samples, and feedback from districts currently using these resources in order to narrow the curricular resource selection to two products that will be piloted during the 2025-26 school year.

Social Studies Pilot Update

Ms. Reingruber shared an overview of the K-8 social studies resource pilot that is taking place this year.

She noted that the D181 target for a curriculum renewal cycle is five years. The last pilot and purchase was for the 2018-19 school year. The Social Studies Subject Area Committee researched and planned during the 2023-24 school year for the current year.

The following resources were chosen for the pilot:

● Cengage National Geographic (MS)

● InquirED Inquiry Journeys (ES)

● TCI Social Studies Alive (MS and ES)

Ms. Reingruber shared the process and procedures related to the pilot:

● ALL SAC members and their grade-level team in elementary will pilot

● All middle school social studies teachers will pilot

● Each teacher will pilot one unit of instruction from each resource.

● Units from the first resource will be selected and paced by the SAC in the spring/summer of 2024.

● The pilot will begin in September 2024 and will end in February 2025

She said the DOL will bring the information to the Board in March 2025, and final approval in April 2025.

District-level Committee Updates:

The Department of Learning updated the committee on the District-level Committee meetings.

Adjournment

Grace Shin made a motion to adjourn at 1:13 p.m. William Cotter seconded the motion. All in favor. The motion carried.

https://go.boarddocs.com/il/hccsdil/Board.nsf/files/DAPRLG6E8117/$file/2024_10_10_ASC_Minutes.pdf