Quincy Reporter

Community Consolidated School District 181 Board of Education Academic Success Committee met Jan. 16.

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 by Grace Shin, Board Member, and Committee Chair, at noon on January 16, 2025.

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

Dr. Kathy Robinson, Kristin Reingruber, Erica Ekstrom, Sara Clary, Jake Wertz, and Chaidan Leshinski.

Pledge of Allegiance

Grace Shin led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Approval of Minutes

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

Public Comment

No public comment.

Discussion Topics

CSCI Overview

Kristin Reingruber, Director of Assessment, Instruction, and Evaluation, shared that each school district must administer a state-approved climate survey annually. District 181 selected the Comprehensive School Climate Inventory, or CSCI, as the survey to meet this requirement and the District’s needs. She noted that the District has administered the CSCI since 2017. Ms. Reingruber said the CSCI is a nationally recognized school climate survey providing an in-depth profile of the school community’s strengths and needs. The survey allows the District to gather detailed information to quickly and accurately assess student, school personnel, and family perceptions, providing us with data to make informed decisions for lasting improvement.

She said that the Input is provided by students in grades 4-8, along with K-8 staff and parents, through an online survey format that takes approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. The CSCI measures fourteen essential dimensions of a healthy school climate in very broad categories:

● Safety

● Teaching and Learning

● Interpersonal Relationships

● Institutional Environment

● Leadership & Efficacy

Staff also provide input regarding leadership and professional relationships. Ms. Reingruber shared that the survey structure poses questions that ask participants to either agree or disagree with a statement about their personal experiences with the school. Possible responses range from 1 being the most negative to 5 being the most positive. If a question does not apply or one wishes not to answer it, they should select DOES NOT APPLY instead of providing a rating. She clarified that all answers are anonymous and no identifying information is shared with the District. Results are reported in the state report card and by local media.

The survey will be conducted from February 18-28, 2025. Information will be emailed to families from the District, schools, and PTOs to explain the CSCI further and solicit parent participation. Participation levels for students, staff, and parents increased in 2023. In 2024, staff and student participation remained at 99-100%, while parent participation increased for the second year. Overall, the 2024 district average scores for parents, staff, and students were all within the positive range (3.5-5.0).

Discussion

Per a question, Ms. Reingruber clarified that she would send a screenshot to parents so they would know what to choose if the choice “does not apply.” Also, she will explain that both parents can complete the survey.

Ms. Reingruber shared that in the past, as a follow-up to the survey results, the District hosted a parent night to share best practices surrounding social media use.

A suggestion was made to host a parent coffee and have computers available for parents to take the survey. The reason is to increase parent participation.

A suggestion was made to include information about the role of the school PTO in the survey.

Ms. Shin congratulated Ms. Kelly Pelak, an HMS teacher who recently won a presidential award for excellence in math and science.

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 12:36 p.m. William Cotter seconded the motion. All in favor. The motion carried.

https://go.boarddocs.com/il/hccsdil/Board.nsf/files/DDRKBF510FBC/$file/2025_01_16_ASC_Minutes.pdf