Back to School in Berwyn!

Berwyn Districts 98 and 100 are back in session for the 2012-13 school year, and there are changes afoot in both. D98 welcomes a new superintendent this year; several D100 schools have new principals; and all Illinois schools will be impacted by the state's adoption of Common Core Standards for learning.

Komensky Elementary School in South Berwyn kicked off its school year with a special event in which teachers walked the neighborhood to introduce themselves to families before the first day. From the school's news release:

"On August 16, 2012, teachers and staff from Komensky Elementary School took to the blocks of Berwyn to welcome students and families back to school. Despite the unfortunate rainy weather, staff members traveled door to door passing out flyers to introduce their new principal, Jeremy Majeski, and stress the importance of community involvement in the Komensky vision. Komensky staff set out to encourage 100% attendance for the first day of school. The school’s 2012-2013 theme is 'Putting the Pieces Together.' Students were each given a puzzle piece that they can turn in on the first day of school for a chance to win a prize. Parents were excited to be welcomed in this fashion. This will be another great year for these Komensky Lions!"

It's great to know these teachers and staff members are so dedicated to reaching out to their students' families!

What's new at your school this year? Comment below to share what you're seeing.

So What is This About Common Core Standards?

Dear Parents,

Since the beginning of this school year,  you may have heard the term "Common Core Standards" sprinkled into conversations with teachers and school folks as if this were some universally known idea.  You may even have caught a glimpse of a headline in the newspaper you don't have time to read these days because you are too busy making lunches and sorting socks in the laundry pile.  (I'm assuming noone is reading this blog, actually.)  You have probably wondered what exactly Common Core Standards means, but  didn't have the time, attention span or confidence to ask an educator to clarify.  Well, wonder no more.

Common Core Standards refers to a set of Reading and Math standards adopted by 45 of 50 states "to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce."  Standards refers to the learning goals set for students -- what they are expected to know and be able to do as a result of their schooling.

The federal No Child Left Behind law mandated that schools continually increase the percentage of their students who “meet or exceed standards,” but left it to the states to define those standards for themselves. The federal government also left it to the states to develop their own assessment tests (like the ISAT test in Illinois) based on their own standards. This made it difficult to compare either curriculum or test scores across states. Critics of the law say that it also created incentives for states to “dumb down” their standards in order to report a higher percentage of students as passing, as they aimed at the unrealistic goals of No Child Left Behind.

The Common Core Initiative was led by a group of state governments that recognized the usefulness of nationally aligned standards.  Proponents say that the new standards are more rigorous and more focused on critical thinking skills.  They were developed using international benchmarks, as well as the "best in our country" as guidelines in order to "prepare our children for college and the work force."   Whether you live in Alabama, Massachusetts, or Illinois, the curriculum will be based on the same set of standards for a more consistent American education that prepares our students for college or the workforce in a global economy. 

Because adoption of the Common Core Standards is voluntary, states are also free to either develop their own assessments (tests), or to use a test developed by one of two consortia associated with the Common Core Initiative. Illinois will use one of these tests, known as PARCC, beginning in the 2014-15 school year.

Will this change what your child experiences at school every day?  That depends. Standards define expected outcomes, but schools’ curriculum (what is taught) and instruction (how it is taught) will still be chosen and implemented by individual districts, principals, and teachers. 

This report gives a good picture of how your child's school might seem different because of the change.   Could it be that we are finally past the burdens of NCLB and the basic-skills-based curriculum that had a generation of kids learning to fill in bubbles instead of think critically??  

Berwyn schools have adopted the Common Core standards and your child's learning will be impacted, so it’s worth thinking about how you want your child to be engaged in the work of meeting the new standards. The next time you hear the term "Common Core Standards" when talking to your child's teacher or principal, speak with confidence about your wishes for your child's education.  Ask about critical thinking skills, rich literature, international math benchmarks and writing research papers or logical arguments.  Are these evident in your child's classroom?  They should be!  Read up on the Common Core Standards before your child's fall Parent Teacher Conferences.  
 

CARES Leaders Meet with New District 98 Superintendent

"Every communication that leaves my office will be in two languages."

This sounds like a good plan for a district that is 79% hispanic.  Research shows that parental involvement increases student achievement.

Dr. Carmen Ayala took over as Superintendent of North Berwyn School District 98 less than 2 months ago, but she has already identified community engagement as a key goal to her success.  She is the first Latina Superintendent of the District.  Members of Berwyn CARES sat down with Dr. Ayala to talk about her plans for moving North Berwyn District 98 forward.

When asked what strengths she has identified that she would like to build on, she cited the achievement growth that the district has experienced in spite of a shift in demographics and limited funding.  Indeed, District 98 students have kept pace with the state, going from only 57.3 % of students meeting or exceeding standards in 2002 to 77.9% in 2011.  No small feat considering that the low-income population has increased from 69% to 87.2 % in that same period.  Dr. Ayala points out that when you compare D98 achievement data to that of similar demographics and funding, the scores are "not bad".  She is quick to credit the talent of the teachers and staff for the consistent growth in achievement.

Dr. Ayala is working to focus all district efforts on 5 specific initiatives.

1.  Common Core Standards:  District 98 teachers will be teaching to the common core standards.  The common core initiative aims to align the curriculum across the country by identifying common standards rather than each state having its own curriculum.  45 of 50 states have adopted the Common Core Standards, including Illinois.

2.  Updated Assessments:  District 98 will be adopting assessments that are aligned with the Common Core Standards.  Discovery Education, an online assessment tool that gives benchmark data for students throughout the year, will give teachers immediate access to the student and class data, allowing them to individualize their instruction.

3.  Inclusion Education:  District 98 will be looking at how to most effectively include students with disabilities in regular classrooms with access to the common curriculum whenever possible.  

4.  SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol):  SIOP is an instructional model proven effective for English Language Learners.   21.8 % of D98 students are identified is Limited English Proficiency.

5.  Equity Cultural Audit.  The District will be holding an Equity Cultural Audit as a way to collect data from the District stakeholders (parents, staff, community, etc.) and assess school culture.

Dr. Ayala plans to refer to these 5 initiatives to guide decisions in the district and to provide a focus for teachers and staff in lesson planning, professional development and budgeting.

So that is what will be happening inside District 98 schools.  But what about that parental involvement piece?  In addition to making sure all communication includes a Spanish translation, Dr. Ayala plans to hold quarterly Superintendent Community Coffees.  On Saturdays.  In Spanish AND English.  No agenda.  This very approachable and enthusiastic leader is dedicated to having a dialogue with a community that has been previously unengaged.  Berwyn CARES looks forward to working wtih Dr. Ayala and the District 98 community to achieve this worthy goal.