Elmhurst District 205 Community Connections Newsletter - 2nd Edition

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

ELMHURST COMMUNITY UNIT SCHOOL DISTRICT 205 2ND EDITION

MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT Reading the articles in this issue, I am struck with a combination of gratitude and pride. I am proud to be the Superintendent of a District that believes so deeply in all of the values in our new Strategic Plan. I want to start off by saying THANK YOU to our Elmhurst residents. In a recent survey conducted by the City of Elmhurst, you voted the schools as the #1 best part of living in Elmhurst, and we couldn’t agree more! Thank you to the entire community for your constant support and contribution to our success.

There are many celebrations highlighted in the data and information shared from Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). The summative designations provided by ISBE - six schools exemplary and six commendable - is a testament of the tremendous work that I have seen from all of our D205 staff each and every day and should be celebrated. I am grateful to our staff for their hard work and dedication to our students and themselves. Even with all of this success, we know we still have more work to do!

The work that is done in our Madison Early Childhood Center is absolutely imperative to the development of students. Individualized care and details are provided to each and every student from the time they walk through the doors. From the students to the staff, it is absolutely apparent

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that everyone not only enjoys being there, but truly values their time there. We are grateful for the work of all of our staff at Madison and for Dr. Kondrat’s leadership.

Starting a business from the ground up is a daunting task to think about for anyone…let alone a high school student. The students in the INCubator program continue to crush expectations and impress not only their teachers, but so many community members that are a part of this program. The relationships that are built, and the valuable lessons that our students are learning from our community members is the absolute definition of preparing for college, career and life.

Entrepreneurship requires not only ingenuity, but also resilience. Students that are a part of this program have the opportunity to build important skills and learn from their fellow classmates and from community members that are industry professionals. These are skills that will be the foundation to success as they move through life.

ELMHURST D205 BOARD OF EDUCATION RECEIVES SPECIAL RECOGNITION IASB School Board Governance Recognition

By Karla Regalado Congratulations to the Elmhurst School District 205 Board of Education for being one of only 33 school boards in Illinois to earn the Illinois Association of School Boards 2022 School Board Governance Recognition designation. The School Board Governance Recognition program acknowledges school boards that learn and practice effective governance behaviors through participation in, and support for, board development programs and events. The D205 Board of Education understands that success in local school board governance requires full board commitment to acquire the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed. The Illinois Association of School Boards will formally recognize the D205 Board of Education at the Fall DuPage Division Meeting.

Being a unit district and having the opportunity to see a student throughout their journey of excellence from Early Childhood through High school and beyond is something that we don’t take for granted. The Mission, Values and Vision that encompass our new Strategic Plan provide a solid foundation for continued success - for our students, our staff and the Elmhurst community. Thank you for your participation in building the Journey of Excellence framework and thank you to the Board of Education for their collaboration and support.

We look forward to sharing our updates as we continue on our journey.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Community Connections. Don’t forget to scan the QR codes for the Madison and INCubator stories to watch a video about each of them.

Message From Superintendent Dr. Keisha Campbell ........................ 01 Elmhurst D205 Board of Education Recognized by IASB ................. 01 All-Day Kindergarten Registration ...................................................... 01 D205 is Exemplary and Commendable ............................................... 02 A Mini-Duke’s Mighty Success ........................................................... 02 The D205 Journey of Excellence ....................................................... 03 Preparing Students for College, Career and Life .............................. 03 The Back Story .................................................................................... 04

District 205 Shows Increased Growth and Achievement on ISBE Report Card

By Tonya Daniels

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n october 27 the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released their ISBE Report Cards for the first time since 2019, showing how our schools are progressing in a wide range of educational goals. The Report Cards provide a detailed look at each school’s progress on academics, student success, school culture and climate and financial investments.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

In addition to the progress reporting, every school throughout Illinois is provided a summative designation based on a set of performance indicators that the State measures. Schools are provided a designation of either Exemplary, Commendable, Targeted Support or Comprehensive Support. The Designation is used as an overall description of how well the school is meeting the needs of all students.

Summative Designations provided

by ISBE are federally required and based on eight indicators of academic performance, including graduation rate, ELA proficiency, Math Proficiency and more. This year, the District surpassed designations received in previous years with six of the schools designated Exemplary and six designated Commendable (Early Childhood Centers are not rated). “We are extremely proud of these designations,” said Superintendent Dr. Keisha Campbell.

“This progress reflects the hard work and dedication of our staff and their constant devotion to student achievement and success. I look forward to working with the teams to analyze the data to formulate our plans to continue this growth.” In 2019, District 205 had two schools receive the Exemplary Summative Designation and now in 2022 has six schools.

Furthermore, every school in the district demonstrated an increase in growth on one or more indicators.

The last two years have certainly had an impact on students and staff all over the world and many areas of education have seen an impact. Due to the hard work of the D205 team, the results for District 205 show that many areas saw a significant growth - some exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Every school in District 205 certainly has something to celebrate.

Some of the areas that showed a return to, or increase over pre-pandemic results, include; 57.9 percent of students taking early college coursework, 97.4 percent of freshmen on track, and an increase in the percentage of students that exceed performance levels on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) in both math and ELA. Knowing the importance of looking forward and continuous improvement, District staff immediately began to dive into the data and look at overall areas for growth and to further strengthen instruction and supports for the entire student community. District leaders are also taking advantage of this thorough data. When asked what it means to have this data provided, and how it will inform any future actions taken at the school, Jacquie Discipio, Principal at Bryan Middle School said, “We are grateful to receive such comprehensive data and information. The thorough information that is provided with this report is key data that will allow us to drill down directly into target areas as we build our school improvement plans, and make

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A MINI-DUKE’S MIGHTY SUCCESS How a Mini Duke’s Individuality Outlines Their Journey to Mighty Success

By Tonya Daniels

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ourteen years ago, Dr. Susan Kondrat started as the Principal of Madison Early Childhood Center. At that time there were 75 students between the ages of three and five enrolled in the school. Today, there are now over 330 students enrolled with a waiting list that continues to grow each year.

The staff at Madison work closely together though a collaborative team approach. Because of this close teamwork and a culture of continuous learning, Madison staff were able to identify an opportunity to drive student learning by shifting to a inclusive model in their classrooms. Research shows that this environment would provide the highest and best inclusive learning experience for these early childhood students. An inclusive classroom is a classroom that provides services to both special-ed and typically developing students together. With the implementation of this new model, all of the teachers at Madison are now also triple certified. Each holds certifications to teach GenEd early childhood, special education early childhood and are also certified to teach English language learners.

Madison is also unique in that they provide inclusive services directly in the classroom, incorporated into their curriculum. All related services, which include speech and language, occupational therapy, physical therapy and social work are provided to each student, based on their individual needs, without the interruption of removing children from their classroom.

“We are a preschool first, to get them ready for kindergarten” said Dr. Susan Kondrat, Principal at Madison Early Childhood Center. “We are also providing the support needed inside the classroom to help all of our students become regulated learners at the same time.”

The staff at Madison focus on every child that comes through the schoolhouse doors, individually, to ensure that each one is provided the tools to leave with a more independent mindset and with skills that are advanced to successfully continue their learning as they progress throughout their D205 journey.

When asked to choose a success story to share, Principal Kondrat was unable to. Not because she didn’t have one, but because she considers all of their students to be success stories.

“Whether they are a student enrolled through Scan this QR code the tuition program or a student that is within to watch a video of the District 205 boundaries, every student that our interview with walks through those doors is a Madison Dr. Kondrat student,” said Dr. Kondrat. “The team and learn more has a shared goal of making sure that about what whenever a student is at Madison, they makes our Minialways think it is a great day.”

Dukes, Mighty.

informed decisions about what will benefit our students the most. Having this information gives us an opportunity to be strategic and provide a detailed focus on these areas, while also continuing to drive overall student growth and achievement, year-over-year.”

With the recent completion of the first two phases of the Strategic Plan, it wasn’t lost on District 205 administrators that there were many areas of the data that directly aligned with their plan. The District’s Strategic Priorities one and two; Student Success and The Learning Environment, both contain multiple focus areas that are directly connected to at least 10 of the Illinois Summative Designation categories and will be key tools that are used to monitor and measure future success in these areas.

T h e t h o rou g h i nf o r ma t i o n t ha t i s pr o v id ed w ith th is rep o rt is k e y d a t a t h a t w i l l a l l o w us t o dr i l l do w n d irectly in to ta rget a re a s a s w e bui l d o ur s cho o l i mp ro vemen t p la n s

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D205 IS EXEMPLARY & COMMENDABLE

THE D205 JOURNEY OF EXCELLENCE Community Informed Key Indicators of Student Success

By Tonya Daniels

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COMMUNITY IMPACT

ollowing her first full year as the new Superintendent of Elmhurst School District 205 (D205), the Board of Education charged Superintendent Dr. Campbell with presenting a strategic plan designed to make substantial progress toward improving student success for all students. Coming off of the heels of uncertainty from a global pandemic, and a lot of change, there was emphasis on the importance of a clearly defined future direction.

Dr. Campbell and the District Administrative Team were eager to implement a strategic plan that would provide an opportunity to further align the work at the schools to achieve ambitious goals for the future that provides a basis to implement, measure, and communicate key indicators of success for students - and ultimately help to refocus after such tumultuous times.

Following approval from the Board, the process began. Phase one was designed to engage district stakeholders – including families, teachers, administrators, staff, students, and community

residents – in developing the longterm framework and a shared future vision for the District that would be built upon the common values held by the community. Throughout phases one and two, the District gathered both qualitative and quantitative data from engagement in focus groups, interviews and survey responses. Over this time, they were able to hear from over 1,600 community members. With feedback in hand, they then spent some time on phase two - evaluating all responses and compiling the full list of priorities. Built on the top priorities and objectives from the community, the D205 Journey of Excellence framework was created.

As a unit district, D205 is provided the privilege of being a part of a student’s journey from early childhood through high school and transition. Following the intensive process in partnership with the community, and Board support, phases one and two of the strategic plan - The Journey of Excellence framework - were finalized in September 2022.

EDUCATE | ENGAGE | EMPOWER PREPARING FOR COLLEGE, CAREER, LIFE

York Class Provides Opportuntiy for Students to Learn From Local Business Owners

By Tonya Daniels

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hanks to a partnership with so many Elmhurst businesses and community members, more than 350 students have been able to experience what it feels like to be an entrepreneur over the last three years. Steve Haderlein was hired to launch the INCubator class at York High School four years ago, and the course has been such a success that the class size has almost doubled, going from 13 teams the first year to 25 this past year.

forward. Some begin to test their ideas and quickly realize that they have to pivot because it isn’t working.

As they create, test, evaluate and make necessary changes to ensure the success of their product or service, students are working with volunteers from the community, real entrepreneurs and business experts, who serve as volunteer coaches and mentors. These community members provide feedback and ideas based on their own personal experiences.

Over the course of a school year, students are provided the opportunity to learn how to develop a business, pitch a business, fund a business, launch a business, and ultimately run a startup company. Anyone that has ever started a business, or attempted to start a business, knows that it isn’t for the weak-hearted. You are often told “no” more times than you ever thought you would be and generally, your final product or service looks much different than it did when you initially came up with the concept.

Similar to what you might see as a capstone project in an MBA program, these students are building real businesses–they are not business cases or simulated experiences. It is this real-life experience that provides students the opportunity to grow, both personally and professionally.

Throughout the course they are told no, and they are challenged to find their own solutions to problems.

They have to be resilient and willing and able to adapt to overcome adversity. “My favorite part of this class is when students solve a problem and you see it in their eyes.

You see a renewed excitement about what they are working on,” said Mr. Haderlein. “Seeing these students succeed when they have a difficulty - and it’s something they would have normally given up on, but are forced to struggle through it and find a new solution that ends up making their

Each step in the process leads them to the next part of the course. After the initial creation, students are awarded a small amount of funding from the Board of Advisors to test their product or service. They can use the funds however they feel will be best to determine the viability of their proposal. Some create a prototype and are able to move

COLLEGE, CAREER, LIFE READY

The Journey of Excellence is comprised of three parts - The Mission, Values and Vision. The Mission states that District 205 students are educated, engaged and empowered and is carried out through a core set of values: - Communicate effectively - Think critically & analytically - Collaborate & problem solve - Contribute meaningfully to community & society - Affirm diverse perspectives - Foster global citizenship - Explore purpose & career pathways - Demonstrate empathy & practice self-reflection - Persevere to achieve goals & aspirations

Through these values comes the vision that D205 students are ready for college, career and life.

Included in phase two is the comprehensive list of strategic priorities and objectives that will be the foundation of the work throughout the Journey of Excellence. Those priorities are Student Success, Learning Environment, Financial and Operational Effectiveness, and Community Engagement. Each of these Priorities have a set of

objectives - the high-level goals tied to them that outlines what the District is working to achieve.

As they begin phase three, D205 will now move into integration and monitoring. During this phase they will be solidifying the District-level implementation plan, with a strong focus on utilizing data and analysis to drive student success. The progress will be shared through a transparent strategic dashboard, viewable by the community on the District’s website. Additionally, the schools and departments will create annual plans that align to the Strategic Plan. The public dashboard will share regular updates on the finalized key performance indicators and the metrics that they will be following to ensure that they are either on track or making adjustments as needed to meet and exceed their goals.

The excitement and eagerness from the District 205 community internally and externally - has been felt throughout the process. The feedback and shared goal of student success has been both inspiring and exciting. Thanks to community input and Board approval, the District is ready to begin implementing the Journey of Excellence framework.

business even better than before that’s the best.”

Throughout the course students are paired with community business members that specialize in an area that relates to their proposed product or service. These mentors work tirelessly to help students, both coming to the class and meeting with them outside of class. The mentors have enjoyed giving back - most have shared that they had a mentor who helped them when they were starting out and now they are able to pay it forward and help the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Additionally, during the year, there are coaches -industry professionals with real-life experiences that add to the class lessons - that come in and share details about their knowledge or expertise to help relate various areas of the course to real situations.

Over these past three years more than 50 community members have participated in the program. These community partnerships are key in helping drive these students’ success.

The hard work ultimately comes down to final pitch night where the final teams are chosen to stand up and pitch their final product or service (think Shark Tank) to the Board of Advisors. Those that win are then awarded more funding to continue their business. Three businesses that Scan this QR Code to watch the full interview with Mr. Haderlein and learn more about this amazing program.

have won are still operating their product or service today, as well as one that did not receive funding on that final pitch night.

With the success of this program, the District is looking at the possibility of creating a 2nd year accelerator course to allow students that received funding from the pitch night competitions an opportunity to enroll to come back and continue running their business. Students were surveyed about their interest in being able to continue a second year in the course and overwhelmingly said YES they would like to continue.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to grow this class,” said Steve Haderlein. “Students are provided an opportunity to strengthen so many essential life skills. Whether it is tackling problem solving, demonstrating self management, actively seeking out their own answers instead of being told what is right or wrong, or so many other experiences, it really is an opportunity for the students to grow as individuals and gain the skills to be college, career and life ready.”

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162 S. York Street Elmhurst, IL 60126 | (630) 834-4530 | www.elmhurst205org | info@elmhurst205.org

The Back Story Flood Mitigation at Field Elementary School

By Kevin Rubenstein

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ny time it rains in Elmhurst, residents worry about flooding. The school district and its properties are no strangers to flooding and many longtime residents recall floods impacting Field Elementary School in 2013. That’s when 7.5 inches of rain fell in 18 hours flooding the library, cafeteria, and nearby homes. Several other flood events in the area prompted the City of Elmhurst to create a comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan in 2014. As a part of the rebuilding of Field

Elementary School, efforts are being included to address flooding in the area.

The design of the updated site includes a parking lot that is built above a stormwater detention basin.

During heavy rain storms, water runs into the basin and is released only once sewers have caught up.

A similar design was put into place at the recently reopened Lincoln Elementary School and in front of York Community High School - each sitting in areas of the city which had been heavily impacted by flooding in recent years.

“Regardless of whether people in our community have children who attend our schools, everyone is benefiting from the stormwater management

systems which are being built as a part of these construction projects,” said Christopher Whelton, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations. He continued, “it’s easy to forget about those hidden items under the parking lots and playing fields, but they will improve our schools and this community.”

For more information and updates on referendum projects, and to watch Field being built in real time, visit our Build205 page at

www.elmhurst205.org

BOARD OF EDUCATION Members serving our community

boardofeducation@elmhurst205.org

COURTENAE TRAUTMANN, SECRETARY Committee: Policy Committee Chair, D205 Safety Committee

JIM COLLINS Committee: Finance Committee Chair

KARA CAFORIO, PRESIDENT Committee: Policy Committee

BETH HOSLER Committee: Policy Committee

CHRISTOPHER KOCINSKI, VICE PRESIDENT

KAREN STUEFEN Committee: Finance Committee, D205 Tech Committee

ATHENA ARVANITIS Committee: Finance Committee