Illinois School Board Journal, March/April 2022

March/April 2022 Vol. 90 No. 2

Administrator Salaries for 2022

School Performance Frameworks

Conflict and Gratitude in These Times

Front Page

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The wonders of technology: For homework, my daughter was watching a science lab on the dissection of a sea cucumber, and at intervals the video would pause and questions would pop up about the previous segment.

The blunders of technology: The multiple-choice options were presented in random order, such that “all of the above” would appear as a choice below “none of the above.”

This particular method of learning is not to my daughter’s preference, but not because of the logical impossibility of answering the question correctly. An e-learning veteran, she’d dealt with that before and knew how to handle it. She didn’t like the repetition of re-watching the video multiple times — which was allowed and for her necessary — to be certain she’d heard the distinctions between “gonads” and “gametes,” or perhaps “cloaca,” or possibly two of the three, none of the above, or all of the above.

This led to a conversation about how people listen and learn. This video exercise was not her preference — she likes classroom instruction and “Quizlets” and would much rather be drawing and labeling sea cucumber insides than watching a video. But other students learn better from the videos because of the repetition and visualization. Although my own thought process was interrupted

2 • Illinois School Board Journal

by the illogic of those multiple-choice options, I learned something by peeking over her shoulder at the madreporite and ampullae.

In my experience, the best learning, and indeed, the spark of learning, happens when the topic is brand-new. Next best is familiar information presented in a way that is novel and different, any lesson presented the way we like it, and/or information adds new and important data to something we already know.

No matter what your preferred method, learning requires listening.

At a recent professional development opportunity, IASB staff learned from HR consultant Elaine Hand that with all the complexities of communication and learning, it starts and ends with listening. Hand further stated that enhanced communication includes knowing and understanding your audience and knowing your style.

Understanding our audience is why IASB brings you the Journal every other month, and why we offer webinars, book studies, in-district opportunities, videos, in-person events whenever possible, policy consultations, and a full website. You can also look for new monthly advocacy conversations, and dozens of other programs to meet your district’s needs and interests and your own learning styles.

So, speaking of “all of the above” and “none of the above,” IASB’s latest Member Survey is available, again through the wonders of technology (the survey is online; members received an email) and I hope without any illogical options. This new survey does not cover sea cucumbers; instead it includes questions about your and your district’s priorities and engagement with IASB. We use the responses to improve IASB services with the goals of enhancing the value of membership and to developing and improving the long list of learning opportunities for our members and their leadership toolkits.

It’s one of the ways the Association listens and learns, and we are counting on the goodwill of all IASB members to give us 10 minutes to take the survey, and also share it with your leadership teams. Thanks!  Theresa Kelly Gegen is Editor of the IASB Journal and can be reached at tgegen@iasb.com

Table of Contents FEATURE ARTICLES Performance Frameworks 9 School for Decision-Making

By Bonnie O’Keefe and Jennifer O’Neal Schiess, Bellwether Education

SPFs are intended to provide meaningful, comparable, and understandable measures of school quality and to support informed actions from key stakeholders, which can include educators, leaders, and community members.

and COVID-19: Alternative Measures of 13 SPFs Student Learning and Wellness

By Bellwether Education

With disruptions to schooling and the ongoing impact of the pandemic — districts consider adaptations of how they measure school quality.

16

Principal Salaries: Incremental Change Continues

REGULAR FEATURES 2 Front Page 4 Leadership Letter Now Is the Time for Gratitude

6 From the Field

When Conflict Arises in the Board Room

By Theresa Kelly Gegen

This update to the Journal’s administrator salaries series includes principal and other administrator salaries.

ESSER Funds for Summer and 20 After-School Programs By the Council of Chief State School Officers and National Summer Learning Association

29 In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) Board/Superintendent Communication in a Year of Crisis

30 Milestones 31 Insights

School districts must reserve at least 20% of ARP ESSER allocation to address learning loss through implementation of evidence-based interventions.

July/August 2019 Vol. 87 No. 3

Kara Kienzler, Associate Executive Director Theresa Kelly Gegen, Editor Bridget Kusturin, Advertising Manager Jennifer Nelson, Copy Editor Katie Grant, Design and Production Jeff Armbruster, Typesetting

ILLINOIS SCHOOL BOA R D JOURNAL (ISSN-0019-221X) is published every other month by the Illinois Association of Sc hool B oa rd s, 2921 Ba ker Dr ive, Springfield, Illinois 62703-5929 (217) 5289688. The IASB regional office is located at One Imperial Place, 1 East 22nd Street, Lombard, Illinois 60148-6120 (630) 629-3776.

The JOURNAL is supported by the dues of school boards holding active membership in the Illinois Association of School Boards. Copies are mailed to all school board members and the superintendent in each IASB member school district.

Non-member subscription rate: Domestic $18 per year. Foreign (including Canada and Mexico) $21 per year.

Publication Policy IASB believes that the domestic process functions best through frank and open discussion.

Material published in the JOURNAL, therefore, often presents divergent and controversial points of view which do not necessarily represent the views or policies of IASB. Copyright © 2022 by the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB), the JOURNAL is published six times a year and is distributed to its members and subscribers. Copyright in this publication, including all articles and editorial information contained in it is exclusively owned

by IASB, and IASB reserves all rights to such information. IASB is a tax-exempt corporation organized in accordance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

March/April 2022 • 3

Leadership Letter

Now Is the Time for Gratitude

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By Thomas E. Bertrand, Ph.D.

In his book Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most, Greg McKeown recounts the story of a man who was falsely accused of a crime that he did not commit. Despite his innocence, rumors circulated throughout his neighborhood and small town, and the man soon found himself ostracized.

The man obsessed about the incident and its aftermath. For the rest of his life, he carried anger about the injustice and died bitter

public backlash over a school board decision, boorish behavior at a school board meeting, or the loss of in-person events — it has been easy to find something to complain about.

McKeown describes the current “complaint culture” that is often fueled by social media. Anyone, at any time and from anywhere can express their displeasure and share criticism of others. Complaining is contagious. The more you complain the easier it is to find some-

When you focus on what you are thankful for, it shifts you away from a deficit mindset filled with regret and worry.

and heartbroken. He could not find it within himself to forgive those who judged him.

When we experience grief, loss, or misfortune it is hard not to obsess or complain about it.

It is an understatement to say that the past two years have been arduous for school board leaders.

There has been no shortage of people and experiences to complain about. Whether it involves 4 • Illinois School Board Journal

thing to complain about. Whether directly or indirectly it does hurt all of us. It can become an endless loop.

The same is true of gratitude.

The more you express gratitude the easier it is to think of things to be grateful for. When you focus on what you are thankful for, it shifts you away from a deficit mindset filled with regret and worry. Gratitude leads to a sense

of possibility, hope, and optimism.

As McKeown states, “When you focus on what you lack, you lose what you have. When you focus on what you have, you get what you lack.” He urges readers to follow a complaint with an expression of gratitude. I recently had a chance to put this to practice when I was flagged for a random security check at the airport. I was tempted to focus on “Why me?”

Instead, I took a deep breath. I then expressed gratitude to the TSA worker who had dealt with more than her share of uncooperative travelers that day. I also shifted my thinking to how fortunate I was that we have safety measures in place to ensure my safe travel to my destination.

During this challenging time for school leaders, now is the time to express gratitude. When angry community members express their displeasure over a board decision, reframe your thinking. Be grateful for how many community members trusted you enough to elect you to office. When a fellow board member expresses strong disagreement with you, be grateful for their passion. Over time this shift from complaining about something that you cannot control to

expressing gratitude will change your outlook. It may also strengthen your relationship with your peers and constituents.

IASB Board of Directors As of February 15, 2022

PRESIDENT Simon Kampwerth Jr.

During this challenging time for school leaders, now is the time to express gratitude.

To develop a new habit, consider something you already do and attach a new behavior to it. Instead of complaining about someone or something, follow the complaint with an expression of gratitude. Eventually, you will shift to thinking about complaining, only to express gratitude instead.

I understand and appreciate how difficult your board service has been and will continue to be. I am grateful that our students have your steady support and leadership. We need you. Our children need you.

I am confident that brighter days are ahead for the nearly two million students attending Illinois’ public schools. That is due in large part to the committed, caring, competent individuals who comprise our school leadership teams.  Thomas E. Bertrand, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Illinois Association of School Boards

VICE PRESIDENT Mark Harms IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Thomas Neeley TREASURER Tim Custis ABE LINCOLN Christopher Gordon

NORTHWEST Chris Buikema

BLACKHAWK David Rockwell

SHAWNEE Sheila Nelson

CENTRAL ILLINOIS VALLEY Tim Custis

SOUTH COOK Joyce Dickerson

CORN BELT Nick Sartoris DUPAGE Thomas Ruggio EGYPTIAN Lisa Irvin ILLINI Michelle Skinlo KASKASKIA Linda Eades KISHWAUKEE Robert Geddeis LAKE Marc Tepper NORTH COOK Alva Kreutzer

SOUTHWESTERN Mark Christ STARVED ROCK Jim McCabe THREE RIVERS Liz Campbell TWO RIVERS Tracie Sayre WABASH VALLEY Mandy Rieman WEST COOK Carla Joiner-Herrod WESTERN Sue McCance SERVICE ASSOCIATES Mark Jolicoeur

The vision of the Illinois Association of School Boards is excellence in local school board governance supporting quality public education.

The mission of the Illinois Association of School Boards is to Light the Way for its members by developing their competence and confidence through a robust toolkit designed to build excellence in local school board governance, including • Premier training experiences; • Networking opportunities for mutual support; • Valuable benefits, pooled services, information, and expertise; • Advocacy on behalf of public education; and • A platform for a strong collective voice on common interests and concerns.

March/April 2022 • 5

From the Field

When Conflict Arises in the Board Room

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By Patrick Allen

The mention of the word conflict more than likely makes a lot of you uncomfortable. Most people do not like conflict. More importantly, most people do not deal with conflict in a good way and allow that conflict to carry on longer than it should.

Since the start of the pandemic in March of 2020, school boards have faced more conflict than they ever have before. Community members within your districts have strong opinions about decisions that districts have made regarding COVID safety and remote learning, for example.

These community members have chosen to voice these opinions at school board meetings during the public comment section, often also sharing these opinions on social media.

An effective school board welcomes public comment as an opportunity to engage with the community and get a first-hand account of what community members think about certain issues. As you have likely seen, your community is passionate about topics surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, and that passion has tended to lead to tense public comment. While we all hope that the speakers are

6 • Illinois School Board Journal

going to conduct themselves in a manner that the children of the district could use as an example of good behavior, we know that hasn’t always been the case.

It is important as a board member to listen to the speaker and try to understand their point of view, even if you disagree with it. Not everyone is going to agree on every topic. As an elected official, you owe it to the community to listen to their comments, even if you disagree. Try to maintain distance from the tone of the comment and listen to the points that are being made.

Not only has your board likely faced conflict from the

community over the past two years, but you have likely faced conflict with other board members during the same time frame.

Board members are not forbidden from having strong opinions about topics, and this has been proven over the past two years.

Just as you should listen to the community, even if they are presenting with heightened emotions, you should also listen to your fellow board members if they are doing the same.

Having a plan to deal with conflict resolution is important for board members. While we know that not every conflict is going to be resolved to our liking,

having a framework for how to deal with this conflict can make life easier on a board.

Below is a list to keep in mind when conflict arises in the board room: • When angry, separate yourself from the situation and take time to cool off.

• Attack the problem, not the person. Start with a compliment.

• Communicate your feelings assertively, but not aggressively. Express them without blaming.

• Focus on the issue, not your position on the issue.

• Accept and respect that individual opinions may differ.

Don’t try to force compliance; instead work to develop common agreement.

• Do not review the situation as a competition, where one has to win, and one has to lose. Work toward a solution where both parties can have some of their needs met.

• Focus on areas of common interest and agreement, instead of areas of disagreement and opposition.

• Never jump to conclusions or make assumptions about what another is feeling or thinking.

• Listen without interrupting and ask for feedback if needed to assure a clear understanding of the issue.

• Remember, when only one person’s needs are satisfied in a conflict, it is not resolved and will continue.

• Forget the past and stay in the present.

IASB Administration and Staff As of February 15, 2022

OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Thomas Bertrand, Executive Director Tulsi Srinivasan, HR Director Chris Montrey, Admin. Assistant MEETINGS MANAGEMENT Carla S. Bolt, Director Natalie Duke, Assistant Manager EXECUTIVE SEARCHES Thomas Leahy, Director Tim Buss, Consultant Jim Helton, Consultant Dave Love, Consultant Alan Molby, Consultant Patricia Sullivan-Viniard, Consultant Mary Torgler, Admin. Assistant OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL Kimberly Small, General Counsel/Associate Executive Director Maryam Brotine, Assistant General Counsel Debra Jacobson, Assistant General Counsel Bridget Trojan, Assistant Manager Ummehani Faizullabhoy, Admin.

Assistant James Wagner, Admin. Assistant

GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS Shelly Bateman, Associate Executive Director Jennifer Blackman, Director of Advocacy and Outreach Zach Messersmith, Director Andrew Proctor, Director Deanna Sullivan, Director Mary Ellen Buch, Admin. Assistant FIELD AND EQUITY SERVICES Nakia Hall, Associate Executive Director Reatha Owen, Senior Director Patrick Allen, Director Lori Grant, Director Perry Hill IV, Director Laura Martinez, Director Dee Molinare, Director Yolanda Chavez, Admin. Assistant Jenny Harkins, Admin. Assistant Nancy Johnson, Admin. Assistant Chelsea Reimann, Admin. Assistant Cindy Rispens, Admin. Assistant Shantel Rotherham, Admin. Assistant Gretchen Watson, Admin. Assistant BOARD DEVELOPMENT Dean Langdon, Associate Executive Director Sandra Kwasa, Director Rhonda Cass Mackiney, Assistant Director Peggy Goone, Assistant Manager Nesa Brauer, Trainer Linda Zulaski, Admin. Assistant

POLICY SERVICES Ken Carter, Director Angie Powell, Director Nicholas Baumann, Consultant Boyd Fergurson, Consultant Breanna Rabacchi, Assistant Manager COMMUNICATIONS Kathryn Bulava, Admin. Assistant Kara Kienzler, John Fines, Admin. Assistant Associate Executive Director Emily Tavernor, Admin. Assistant Theresa Kelly Gegen, Director Heath Hendren, Director ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES Jennifer Nelson, Director Jennifer Feld, Isaac Warren, Assistant Director Chief Financial Officer/Associate Bridget Kusturin, Admin. Assistant Executive Director Karen Faith, Assistant Business PRODUCTION SERVICES Manager Katie Grant, Director Patrick Shea, Assistant Manager, Toby Chiles, Lead Print Shop Operator Technology Jeff Armbruster, Print Shop Camille Gillette, Specialist III Operator/Graphics Ruth Ann Ferris, Receptionist Staff emails: First initial and last name Sally Kimmel, Receptionist preceding iasb.com

March/April 2022 • 7

From the Field • Build “power with,” not “power over” others.

• Thank the person for listening.

The sixth Foundational Principle of Effective Governance is the board

that each individual board member needs to ensure that they are contributing to the effectiveness of the board, and that they are coming to the table with an open mind regarding current issues.

Since the start of the pandemic in March of 2020, school boards have faced more conflict than they ever have before.

taking responsibility for itself. This can mean the board as all seven members making sure that it is leading the district in the most effective way that it can. It means being clear and concise in its direction to the superintendent. It can also mean

8 • Illinois School Board Journal

We all form opinions ahead of time — it is human nature to do so. As a board member, it is your responsibility to make sure that you hear both sides of the issue. And not only hear both sides but try to understand both sides. This isn’t to

say that you need to change your opinion, but as someone holding a trusted position within the community, you owe it to the community to listen to every point being made.

There is absolutely no doubt that we are living in difficult and unprecedented times. It is natural for conflict to occur, but if the school board, and you as an individual member, not only follows the steps above, but also keeps the best interest of the district in mind, you can navigate that conflict more easily and provide the best outcomes for your district and your community.  Patrick Allen is Field Services Director for IASB’s Abe Lincoln, Kaskaskia, Southwestern, and Two Rivers divisions.

Feature Story

School Performance Frameworks for Decision-Making

By Bonnie O’Keefe and Jennifer O’Neal Schiess, Bellwether Education

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School Performance Frameworks (SPFs) are action-oriented tools that provide information on school performance and quality across a variety of measures. SPFs are intended to provide meaningful, comparable, and understandable measures of school quality and to support informed actions from key stakeholders, which can include educators, leaders, and community members. SPFs are sometimes referred to as school report cards or rating systems.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic likely disrupted the use of SPFs temporarily, in many

communities, they have been central to answering these questions: • How do school district leaders define school quality and drive systemic improvement?

• How do principals drive continuous improvement in their schools?

• How do families understand how their school is doing or choose a new school for their child?

SPFs, sometimes called school report cards, provide information on school performance and quality using a variety of measures.

SPFs are intended as a tool to support decision-making and action aimed at ensuring high-quality schools for every student. A well-designed SPF can support various strategies to improve schools and can increase transparency about school performance.

And SPFs are often one piece of a broader strategy for school improvement.

Establishing an SPF is often one of the first steps in a systemic improvement plan, because the process requires a school system to define school quality and longterm goals with community input.

March/April 2022 • 9

The SPF then becomes the tool for assessing progress toward goals and the foundation for communicating information about school performance.

Any SPF requires some key building blocks like reliable, comparable data; resources and capacity to create and implement the SPF; and strong communication and engagement plans. During the COVID-19 pandemic this data has been unreliable or inconsistent, which is one reason many SPFs have been on pause. School districts that may be reconsidering them in the near future should understand that SPFs vary greatly in design and the actions they support. For example, some SPFs include a summative rating or score of school performance, such as a letter grade or tier; others present an array of data as

a “dashboard” but with no single, summative rating. Ultimately, these design choices are dependent upon the goals and the users whom leaders hope to serve with an SPF. The History of SPFs

SPFs are new in many places but well established in others. Many local SPFs today originally evolved as a local supplement or alternative to school ratings required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001). The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015) replaced NCLB and required revisions to state report cards and a wider range of metrics than what was required under NCLB. At the same time, a growing school choice movement and increased adoption of autonomous school governance structures mean that more communities want

clear standards for local accountability and information about school performance. Without an SPF, school quality tends to be defined by word-of-mouth, high-level test scores, and/or measures like neighborhood income. An SPF provides an opportunity for local communities to define what matters most to them in school performance.

Use Cases

Different people and communities use SPFs for different purposes.

We have identified three primary purposes for which SPFs are currently used and designed, called “use cases,” a concept borrowed from the world of technology and design.

Determining which use case or use cases an SPF will support is a critical first step in the design process.

Communities considering an SPF

Sample SPF Metrics: New Orleans/Louisiana Department of Education School Performance Scores

Louisiana’s rating system has very few metrics compared to other systems in this report, and solely assesses student outcomes without additional school quality or environment measures. This is intentional, to align with the states’ goals and emphasis on meeting high standards. Source: School Performance Frameworks: Lessons, Cases, and Purposeful Design, Bellwether Education.

10 • Illinois School Board Journal

or revising an existing SPF should think through how they envision the SPF being used, and how they might prioritize different uses. The three use cases are: • System Management and Accountability • School Continuous Improvement • Family and Community Information System Management and Accountability

System leaders, such as superintendents and district leadership teams, school board members, or charter school authorizers, might use an SPF to support clear, consistent decisions around school management or system-wide strategies.

System leaders can use an SPF to identify schools in need of intensive support; identify and reward high-performing schools; inform decisions around school expansion, replication, and/or closure; design system-wide improvement strategies; and allocate resources appropriately and equitably across schools. SPFs designed for system management and accountability need: 1. Comparable, reliable, and equitable results across schools.

2. Alignment with system-wide goals and plans for student achievement.

3. Clear policies and processes defining the role of the SPF in important system management decisions.

School Continuous Improvement

School leaders might use an SPF to inform and support school-level continuous improvement in

operations, culture, and student outcomes. SPFs can help school leaders understand how schools are performing against district/system expectations and goals; diagnose key strengths and weaknesses across a variety of outcomes; flag leading indicators of potential problems for early action; and guide school resource allocations, staffing plans, and programmatic decision-making.

SPFs designed for school continuous improvement need: 1. Relevant, frequently available data to support school leader decision-making.

2. A mix of student outcomes metrics and other indicators that can help diagnose difficulties or serve as leading indicators of improvement.

3. A training and support plan for school leaders to incorporate results into their improvement plans and processes.

Family and Community Information

Families and community members deserve transparent, clear information about school performance.

Families can use results from the SPF to help contextualize their student’s performance, inform school choice decisions, and advocate effectively for improvement in their school or district. More broadly, community members can use the data from an SPF to help inform and advocate for community priorities, choose elected leaders, and engage with the school system. SPFs designed for family and community information need: 1. Multiple ways to access, use, and understand SPF results and what goes into them.

2. Clear, jargon-free indications of what a metric or rating means.

3. Information that matters to families beyond student outcomes (e.g., programs and amenities at the school, family and student experience).

Combining Use Cases

It is unlikely that any SPF would be able to completely meet the needs of system leaders, school leaders, and family/community members simultaneously.

Trying to “do it all” might result in an SPF that meets no one’s needs. Across the five SPFs we examined in our research on this topic, a lack of clearly defined purposes and priorities could undermine an SPF’s effectiveness and, ultimately, its credibility with stakeholders.

Of the three use cases, school continuous improvement may be the toughest to combine with others, because school leaders need depth, frequency, and variety of data to make school-level decisions that could overwhelm other users.

Rather than aiming to do everything at once, leaders interested in an SPF should clearly understand their goals, and map out and assess other systems currently serving the needs of each user group — for instance, March/April 2022 • 11

existing data systems for school leaders, or resources for families choosing a school. Then, leaders should prioritize the use cases the SPF will serve and in what order.

Design choices, including everything from the indicators the SPF measures to the presentation of data and results, should be made with that prioritization in mind. Where trade-offs are required between options that serve one purpose better than another, those priorities then serve as a framework for decisions.

If an SPF will serve more than one use case, it is important to anchor it in common, coherent goals for students, with different presentations for different users.

A single PDF report will not serve multiple user groups well. The most

12 • Illinois School Board Journal

successful SPFs present specialized options for different audiences to view and understand results.

Regardless of which purposes an SPF serves, they are intended to drive action — not be solely informational. If school leaders are meant to use an SPF in improvement, they will need coaching and professional development to use information effectively in their day-to-day and long-term strategies. Bellwether Education offers examples of SPFs in different cities — Chicago, New Orleans, and Denver — and examines how they align to each use case.

See below for a link to access the full report and the SPFs.  Adapted with permission from Bellwether Education. Jennifer O’Neal Schiess is a partner and

Bonnie O’Keefe is an associate partner at Bellwether Education in its Policy and Evaluation practice area. Access the many resources associated with this article via the Journal resources page at bit.ly/MA22JRes. “Bellwether Education is a national nonprofit focused on dramatically changing education and life outcomes for underserved children.

We do this by helping education organizations accelerate their impact and by working to improve policy and practice. Bellwether envisions a world in which race, ethnicity, and income no longer predict opportunities for students, and the American education system affords all individuals the ability to determine their own path and lead a productive and fulfilling life.”

SPFs and COVID-19

Alternative Measures of Student Learning and Wellness Beyond federal requirements in the Every Student Succeeds Act and state-level accountability systems, school districts across the country have an essential role in school-level accountability, especially assessing student learning and wellness. Today — with continued disruptions to schooling and the ongoing impact of the pandemic — districts can adapt how they measure school quality to better understand how schools are operating and how students are learning.

Numerous school districts have developed School Performance Frameworks (SPFs) with shared metrics for quality among their schools. With missing data on state assessments, the need to continue to adapt instructional delivery to changing conditions, and a renewed emphasis on student health and safety, these districts must adjust their SPFs to account for missing data and shifting priorities.

For those districts that have yet to establish SPFs, the urgent need to understand what schools are doing and how it affects student outcomes can serve as a call to action. SPFs are an essential tool that can help districts set priorities for their schools and support them as they continue to adapt and improve. Moreover, unlike federal- and state-level officials, school district leaders are well-positioned to establish metrics that are responsive to local circumstances. Bellwether has published numerous resources throughout the pandemic about the role of metrics and accountability during periods of change and disruption; here are things for district leaders to consider as they develop and adapt their approaches.

Districts need to rethink their approaches to measuring student learning and wellness.

The COVID-19 pandemic, school closures, advent of distance learning, and suspension of state testing have disrupted how districts assess and manage their systems of schools. Districts must adapt their approaches accordingly.

Districts must shift how they assess school quality, support continuous improvement, and hold schools accountable.

It is essential for districts to understand how well schools are meeting the needs of students, including not only academic growth but also student wellness. Districts

managing systems in which foundational decisions affecting student learning sit with building leaders need to continue strong oversight and support decision-making at the school and system level.

Districts have a responsibility to protect student interests while being mindful of the burdens they place on school leaders and educators. Measures of school quality are essential for understanding equity and ensuring that the system of schools is collectively meeting the needs of all students. The data gaps created by pauses in testing fundamentally disrupted the ways in which districts have assessed schools’ academic performance.

The need to rethink these measures has occurred within a broader discussion of accountability.

Current circumstances present challenges for districts in managing school quality, as well as a window to refresh their approach. Districts with SPFs may need to adapt them, as well as how they are used for accountability and continuous improvement. At the same time, all districts — regardless of whether they have SPFs — can start now to build a foundation for how schools and systems recover, how we assess what we value about school performance, and how to better support students to thrive moving forward.

Some have argued that we should abandon accountability systems entirely for the last year and beyond, while others believe we should return to past accountability practices as soon as possible.

Neither response is adequate. Rather, districts must develop new and better approaches to assess student learning, school performance, and quality. Districts need not start from scratch; many can evolve their existing SPFs to assess and communicate school quality. Adaptations shouldn’t narrowly focus on addressing current gaps in testing data.

In developing and evolving their SPFs, districts have an opportunity to innovate in ways that are responsive to the needs of their local communities. To evolve SPFs or define new locally developed measures and goals, districts must answer several key questions.

March/April 2022 • 13

1. What are the key concepts or indicators that make up the district’s current/past approach to assessing school quality? Are there other concepts or indicators related to school performance that become newly or more important for districts to assess in a COVID-19 world?

2. How has the district measured school performance within these indicators?

3. Why does the district focus on these measures? What questions is the district trying to answer?

4. What kinds of decisions does this data inform? What are the stakes of these decisions for students, schools, communities, and districts?

5. What problems or complications may prevent the district from using these measures now? Are there other limitations of those measures that the district is concerned about or aware of?

6. What are other ways the district could get at the questions that these measures are intended to help us answer? What information is the district currently collecting from schools? Is there additional information that schools are collecting that might help? Are there other information sources that would be useful that

14 • Illinois School Board Journal

districts and schools don’t currently have but potentially could?

7. What steps must the district take to implement these other ways of assessing quality or use them well? Are there any statutory or regulatory constraints? How will the district engage stakeholders and build buy-in for the changes?

Bellwether Education offers a toolkit to walk through these questions to support adjustments to measuring student learning and wellness. To adapt existing SPFs during the pandemic, districts must audit the measures they have previously used, assess limitations of those measures in the current context, identify other measures that are newly relevant, and develop an approach to answering key questions about student learning and well-being.  Adapted with permission from the Guide for School Districts: Exploring Alternative Measures of Student Learning and Wellness with permission from Bellwether Education. The full guide can be accessed via the Journal’s resources page at bit.ly/MA22JRes.

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Feature Story

Principal Salaries: Incremental Change Continues

By Theresa Kelly Gegen

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Principal and other administrator salaries from 2018 to 2020 are reviewed here to complete the semi-annual entry into the Journal’s administrator salaries series.

The data, published annually by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), are publicly available (except when being updated). For the purposes of this administrator salaries series, the data include the base-plus salaries, which means salaries and the monetary benefits listed under bonus, annuities, retirement benefits, and other benefits. It includes those with full-time equivalents of 0.9 or higher. We break this down further in this installment into principals, assistant principals, and other administrators. The January/February issue of the Illinois School Board Journal addressed superintendent salaries. The full series is available online (see sidebar, page 18).

The Numbers

Compared to superintendents, there are more principals (see Table 1), and also historically more fluctuation in the salaries and related data.

Factors involved in that over time include attrition, mobility (especially because principals more often 16 • Illinois School Board Journal

move into superintendent roles than vice versa), and prominent regional differences. A factor of more recent impact is the coronavirus pandemic, which has impacted an ongoing educator shortage that was already considered a crisis.

The 2021 Illinois Educator Shortage Survey report published by the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools noted that over a third of school districts reported administrator shortages, with 35% of superintendents in responding districts reporting a

Figure 1

Regions: Regions: EC/East Central EC/East Central NE/Northeast NE/Northeast NW/Northwest

NW/Northwest SE/Southeast SE/Southeast SW/Southwest SW/Southwest WC/West Central WC/West Central

moderate to severe problem. Over half (54%) expect minor to severe administrator shortages next year.

Typically, salaries for administrators in Illinois public schools increase by 2-3% a year, and that held true from 2018 to 2020 (see Table 2). The percentage increase for principals did drop, from 2.6% to 1.8%. Across the data, changes like that are usually attributable to the collective impact of retirement or promotion, and diving into the data shows this to be the case here. A look at the high salary ranges in that category offers further explanation. Although there are more

principal salaries reported in 2020 than in 2019, fewer individual principals had base-plus salaries over $200,000 and the high salary declined by $10,000.

Looking at the percentiles (see Table 3), the principal salaries at the upper percentiles are distancing themselves from the median more than the lower percentiles, but overall, the numbers show salaries drawing closer to the median from 2018 to 2020.

The percent change for assistant principals was nearly the same for the years in question, and the changes in percentiles are also consistent over time.

Other Duties as Assigned

This analysis includes, for the first time, a group known hereafter as “other administrators.” These are administrators who, to the extent that the data indicates, are school business officials, directors of special education, and/or hold administrator endorsements but are not superintendents, assistant superintendents, principals, or assistant principals. There are fewer “others” than principals, but more “others” than assistant principals or superintendents.

It’s a quirky category because it depends on the district’s input. If a district’s chief school March/April 2022 • 17

business official is listed as an assistant superintendent, for example, they would have been included in the superintendent analysis.

Applying those criteria, the number of other administrators in the state has been fairly steady over the three-year span, with a high of 2,362 in 2018. The average salaries for these individuals statewide increased from $127,432 in 2018 to $134, 497 in 2020. Even without CPS, the Northeast Region of the state dominates this category. In 2020, the Northeast was home to

18 • Illinois School Board Journal

81% (1,855 of 2,291) of the other administrators and had the highest and lowest salaries in the category.

In this category, the average salary in the Northeast in 2020 was $139,764, compared to $134,497 statewide.

Regional Analysis

For the regional analysis, we combined assistant principals and principals (see Table 4).

The Northeast Region of the state (Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Lake, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, McHenry, and Will) drives the

About the Series Since 1997, the Illinois Association of School Boards, working with researchers in the field of educational leadership, has published a report on the salaries of superintendents and principals in Illinois. Early data for the study was obtained through surveys with un-audited information as reported to ISBE, with relatively low rates of return.

In 2009, a change in the law (Public Act 96-0434) required Illinois school districts to report administrator and teacher salary information to ISBE. The Illinois School Code was amended in 2011 to reflect changes in the reporting dates. The data were briefly unavailable during the transition, and the Administrator Salaries series was paused for a few years.

With reporting standards in place and the data being made available to researchers, IASB’s “annual” study of administrator salaries was revived in 2014 and 2015 with a catch-all and catch-up from the missing years, followed by a normal annual analysis. The series paused again in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic upended data reporting and publishing.

It also curtailed the ability of our longtime collaborators at Western Illinois University to participate. We are grateful for their work over the years to keep the series going. This installment adheres to their standards for identifying trends, reportage, and analysis as faithfully as possible.

The full series, dating back to 1997, is available on the IASB website at bit.ly/IASBAdminSalaries. 

numbers even without, as noted above, counting Chicago Public Schools in this analysis. Both the state’s population and the cost of living are reflected in the Northeast’s numbers compared to the rest of Illinois.

The regions (see Figure 1) for the Journal’s Administrator Salaries series date back to the first installment, in 1997, when data was self-reported and the number of respondents was a few dozen.

For much of the state, the regions are data comparable (see Table 4).

But the Northeast data is different from the rest. For principals, the difference is starkest when comparing the Northeast directly with the other five regions combined.

In 2020, the Northeast counted 2,766 principals. The rest of the

state tallied 1,909. The average salary for principals in the Northeast is $136,789. This is higher by almost $19,000 than the next highest average, from the Northwest. Separate out the Northeast

increased over the three years of data in this analysis.

As a whole, the salary trends for 2018 through 2020 are consistent, be it through the years, across the state, and per region. Boards of

As expected, all of the regional average salaries for principals increased over the three years of data in this analysis.

from the rest of the state and the difference is even more noticeable: the state’s average principal salary without the Northeast is $108,184.

As expected, all of the regional average salaries for principals

education are encouraged to look at the data relevant to their situation when planning administrative personnel changes and salaries.  Theresa Kelly Gegen is Editor of the Illinois School Board Journal.

March/April 2022 • 19

Feature Story

ESSER Funds for Summer and After-School Programs By the Council of Chief State School Officers and National Summer Learning Association

T

The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund is a COVID-19 relief program for states and school districts.

ESSER was funded through three separate laws: • March 2020: $13.23 billion through CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act), often referred to as ESSER 1; • December 2020: $54.3 billion through CRRSA (Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act), often referred to as ESSER 2; and • March 2021: $121.975 billion through ARP (American Rescue Plan), often referred to as ESSER 3 or ARP ESSER. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) awards ESSER funds to states and states must allocate at least 90% of the funds to school districts. Such funds retained at the state level are sometimes referred to as ESSER “state level” or “state reserve” funds; funds allocated to school districts are sometimes referred to as ESSER “local” funds.

These funds are flexible compared to other federal education

20 • Illinois School Board Journal

programs. States and school districts must use ESSER funds to prevent, prepare for, or respond to COVID-19, which can include a broad variety of activities to address the effects of the pandemic, address pre-existing issues exacerbated by the pandemic, or emerge stronger post-pandemic. ED has clarified that all three funding streams may be spent on the same activities, except for certain required setasides in ARP ESSER. Are any ESSER funds required to be spent on summer or afterschool programming?

Yes. ARP ESSER requires a certain amount of funding to be “set aside” for specific activities.

There are both state and local level set-asides, and activities funded through the set-asides should respond to students’ academic, social, and emotional needs, and address the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on certain student groups.

At the state level, states must reserve from their total ARP ESSER allocation: • At least 5% to address learning loss (also referred to as the

academic impact of lost instructional time) through the implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as summer learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive afterschool programs, or extended school year programs, • At least 1% for evidence-based summer enrichment programs, and • At least 1% for evidence-based comprehensive afterschool programs.

At the local level, school districts must reserve at least 20% of ARP ESSER allocation to address learning loss (also referred to as the academic impact of lost instructional

time) through implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as summer learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive afterschool programs, or extended school year programs.

What is “evidence-based” under ESSER?

The required state and local setasides in ARP ESSER must only be used to support evidence-based interventions. ARP ESSER uses the same definition of evidence-based as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). ESEA specifies four levels of evidence: • Strong Evidence, meaning there is at least one well-designed and well-implemented experimental study (e.g., a randomized

control trial) on the intervention. This is sometimes referred to as Tier 1 evidence • Moderate Evidence, meaning there is at least one well-designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental study on the intervention. This is sometimes referred to as Tier 2 evidence.

• Promising Evidence, meaning there is at least one well-designed and well-implemented correlational study with statistical controls for selection bias on the intervention. This is sometimes referred to as Tier 3 evidence.

• Demonstrates a Rationale, meaning the intervention includes 1) a well-specified logic model that is informed by

research or an evaluation that suggests how the intervention is likely to improve relevant outcomes; and 2) an effort to study the effects of the intervention.

This is sometimes referred to as Tier 4 evidence.

ED clarified that for an activity to be considered evidence-based, an activity is not required to have generated such evidence during the COVID-19 pandemic The evidence-based requirements only apply to the ARP ESSER required set-asides — the evidence-based requirements do not apply to “regular” ESSER funds except when ESSER funds are used to support full-service community schools.

For example, regular ESSER funding could be used to pay for students to attend a summer camp, or to participate in an out-of-school robotics program, even if there is not a specific evidence base for those activities.

Can regular ESSER funds (funds that are not specifically set aside for afterschool or summer learning) be used for these costs?

Yes. While some ARP ESSER funds must be “set aside” for evidence-based activities to address learning loss, summer enrichment, and afterschool programs, regular ESSER funds (from all three streams) at both the state and district level are quite flexible and can be used for a variety of costs, including summer and afterschool programming.

Summer and afterschool programming are specifically listed as permissible uses of ESSER funds.

This means that regular ESSER March/April 2022 • 21

funds — which constitute the vast majority of ESSER funding — can be spent on summer and afterschool programming. Regular ESSER funds are not subject to evidence-based requirements.

How might summer and OST providers access ESSER funding to support their summer learning and out-of-school time services?

Summer and out-of-schooltime (OST) providers might access ESSER funding to provide services through grants or contracts. Note that only state-level ESSER funding is available to make grants to providers.

Grants: States are permitted to subgrant state-level ESSER funding to eligible recipients, which can include summer and OST providers. If a provider receives an ESSER subgrant from a state, it is subject to all of the relevant legal obligations of federal grant recipients, including but not limited to requirements detailed in the Uniform Grant Guidance, such as financial management system standards, personnel paperwork, inventory management, reporting, audit, and other requirements. Summer and OST recipients of state-level ESSER grants are considered “subgrantees” and are not permitted to “re-grant” ESSER funds to other entities.

States are responsible for overseeing ESSER subgrantee compliance.

School districts are not permitted to grant or subgrant ESSER funds to any entity, including summer and OST providers. (School districts can however contract with summer and OST providers.)

Contracts: Both states and school districts may contract with 22 • Illinois School Board Journal

summer and OST providers to provide services with ESSER funds.

States must follow state procurement and contracting processes when contracting with ESSER funds. School districts must follow federal, state, and local procurement processes when contracting with ESSER funds. The federal procurement and contracting standards that school districts must follow are described in the Uniform Grant Guidance. In certain limited situations, “noncompetitive” procurements are permitted under federal rules — for example, when only a single source can provide the item, there is a public emergency, or the federal agency or “pass-through entity” (the state educational agency for ESSER) approves the

noncompetitive procurement in writing. ED clarified that school districts might want to consider noncompetitive procurement options for summer enrichment programs.

Who administers and oversees ESSER funding?

At the federal level, the U.S. Department of Education (ED)

administers ESSER funding and allocates it to states. In this role, among other duties, ED is responsible for providing technical assistance to grant recipients, monitoring the use of funds, providing access to ED’s grants management system where states draw down funds, providing training and information to auditors, and overseeing reporting requirements.

At the state level, state education agencies (SEAs) — typically known as state departments of education or state departments of public instruction — allocate ESSER funds to school districts, spend state-level ESSER funds either directly or through subgrants to eligible recipients or contracts with providers, and oversee subgrantees.

This oversight role includes reviewing and approving school district applications for ESSER funding, providing technical assistance to subgrantees (which could include summer or OST subgrant recipients), monitoring subgrantees for compliance with federal rules, and ensuring that subgrantees receive required audits.

At the local level, local education agencies (LEAs) — typically known as school districts — apply to their SEAs to receive the funding, submit required plans to the SEA, administer ESSER funds at the local level, and spend ESSER funds. At the local level ESSER funds can either be spent directly for the LEA — for example, to pay school district staff — or through

contracts with providers for goods or services.

What kinds of summer learning costs can ESSER pay for?

ESSER is a flexible program, therefore a variety of summer learning costs are permissible, and programs can address the needs of students of all ages. ED encourages states and school districts to maximize enrollment in summer programs, with particular focus on underserved students and students most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including providing transportation and meal services.

Examples of permissible costs include, but are not limited to: • Summer learning and enrichment programs, including summer camps, along with necessary and reasonable costs to reduce barriers for students to attend high-quality programs (such as transportation and other costs related to attending).

• Summer bridge programs to help students make the successful transition to postsecondary education, training, pre-apprenticeship, registered apprenticeship, or other career pathway programs.

• Summer learning and enrichment programs that provide training, work-based learning, and jobs to high school students, including service learning or other volunteer opportunities for high school students.

If ARP ESSER set-aside funds are used to pay for the above kinds of programming, the programs must be evidence-based. Regular ESSER funds are not subject to the evidence-based requirements.

March/April 2022 • 23

What kinds of OST costs can ESSER pay for?

As with summer learning, because ESSER is a flexible program, a wide variety of outof-school time (OST) costs are permissible. Examples include, but are not limited to: • Afterschool, or other out-ofschool time, programs that address students’ social, emotional, and academic needs.

These programs can occur before and after the regular school day, as well as on weekends or during school breaks.

• Costs that expand programming options for students through in-school or out-ofschool programming, which could include arts or sports programming; or clubs, such as a robotics or STEM club.

Again, if ARP ESSER setaside funds are used to pay for the above kinds of programming, the programs must be evidence-based.

Regular ESSER funds are not subject to the evidence-based requirements.

How have states used ESSER funding to support students for summer and out-of-school time?

States are engaging in a wide variety of approaches, including: • Connecticut funded grants to expand summer programming for low-income children, and to support innovative summer offerings in rural and urban areas, including opportunities in sports and recreation, hands-on academic experiences, theater and poetry, and mentorship.

24 • Illinois School Board Journal

• Georgia runs the Building Opportunities in Out-of-School Time (BOOST) grant competition, which offer three-year grants, renewed annually, to community-based organizations or municipalities that operate comprehensive out-of-school time (OST) programming over the summer months, after school during the academic year, or yearround, with the goal of providing evidence-based afterschool and summer programming focusing on academic and non-academic barriers for students most impacted by COVID-19.

• Under the Rekindling Curiosity program, the New Hampshire Department of Education is partnering with camps and other summer learning organizations to make summer enrichment opportunities available to students with disabilities and from low-income backgrounds.

• Utah: Utah is running a competitive grant program where providers must commit to combining summer learning and afterschool programming and must partner with school districts and community-based organizations.

• West Virginia is funding the Summer SOLE program (Student Opportunities for Learning and Engagement) which provides hands-on, engaging, and interactive summer learning experiences that will begin to address students’ social-emotional needs and support their recovery from pandemic learning loss. Funded programs offer in-person, research-based opportunities including full-day programs for K-8 as well as access to a minimum of four days per week for at least four weeks with free transportation and meals for all K-12 students.

Other summer and OST approaches are described in recently approved state ARP ESSER plans, which, along with this complete report and collected links to ED’s ESSER and ARP ESSER websites, can be accessed starting at the Journal resources page at bit.ly/ MA22JRes.  Reprinted with permission of the Council of Chief State School Officers and National Summer Learning Association.

Timing for Each ESSER Funding Stream Obligation Deadline

ESSER Funding Stream

(Including Tydings Period)

ESSER 1 (CARES Act)

$13.23 billion

September 30, 2022

ESSER 2 (CRRSA Act)

$54.3 billion

September 30, 2023

ARP ESSER (ARP Act)

$121.975 billion

September 30, 2024

All ESSER funding can be used for “pre-award” costs dating back to March 13, 2020. All spending must be finished (“liquidated”) within 120 days after the obligation deadline. There has been some confusion over when the various ESSER funding streams must be obligated. The CARES law says its funds remain available for obligation through September 30, 2021, the CRRSA law says its funds remain available for obligation through September 30, 2022, and the ARP law says its funds remain available for obligation through September 30, 2023. These dates, however, are all extended by one additional year through the Tydings Amendment which is part of a separate law called the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA).

Milestones

Continued from page 30

William C. Poutre, 77, died January 29, 2022. He had served on the Waltham CCSD 185 Board of Education.

Kenneth Rosenthal, 95, died January 6, 2022. He was a past member of the school board for Morrisonville CUSD 1.

Robert D. Smith, 85, died January 5, 2022. He was a longtime member and president of the Barry school board in Pike County.

Donald Taylor, 85, died January 26, 2022. He was a past member of the Farmer City Board of Education in DeWitt County.

Ralph Emil Teerlinck, 93, died December 14, 2021. He had served as a member of the Orion CUSD 223 school board.

John D. Teofilo, 85, died January 31, 2022. He was a past member of the school board for Mundelein ESD 75.

Ed True, 89, died December 21, 2021. He was a professor of business at colleges throughout the state and served on the school boards for O”Fallon CCSD 90 and THSD 203.

Dawn Weber, 65, died January 22, 2022. She served on the Smithton CCSD 130 school board and on the steering committee that established the Smithton Public Library District.

William Bundy “Bill” Wham, 99, died January 10, 2022. He was a past member of the Centralia HSD 200 Board of Education.

Renee Marie White, 46, died January 1, 2022. She was a past member of the board of education for Zion SD 6.

Wilfred A. Wulfekuhle, 84, died December 31, 2021.

He was a prior member of the Warren CUSD 205 Board of Education.  The Journal appreciates contributions to the Milestones section. Please direct these to communications@iasb.com.

March/April 2022 • 25

Service Associates Directory Appraisal Services INDUSTRIAL APPRAISAL COMPANY Building and fixed asset appraisals for insurance and accounting purposes.

Oak Brook (630) 575-0280

Architects/Engineers ARCON ASSOCIATES, INC. Full service firm specializing in educational facilities with services that include architecture, construction management, roof and masonry consulting, landscape architecture, and environmental consulting.

Lombard (630) 495-1900; www.arconassoc.com; rpcozzi@arconassoc.com BERG ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS, LTD. Consulting engineers.

Schaumburg (847) 352-4500; www.berg-eng.com BLDD ARCHITECTS, INC. Architectural and engineering services for schools.

Decatur (217) 429-5105; Champaign (217) 356-9606; Bloomington (309) 828-5025; Chicago (312) 829-1987 CORDOGAN CLARK & ASSOCIATES Architects and engineers.

Aurora (630) 896-4678; www.cordoganclark.com; rmont@cordoganclark.com DEWBERRY ARCHITECTS INC. Architects, planners, landscape architecture, and engineers.

Peoria (309) 282-8000; Elgin (847) 695-5840 DLA ARCHITECTS, LTD. Architects specializing in preK-12 educational design, including a full range of architectural services, assessments, planning, feasibility studies, new construction, additions, remodeling, O&M and owner’s rep services.

Itasca (847) 742-4063; www.dla-ltd.com; info@dla-ltd.com DLR GROUP Educational facility design and master planning.

Chicago (312) 382-9980; dlrgroup.com; mengelhardt@dlrgoup.com

26 • Illinois School Board Journal

ERIKSSON ENGINEERING ASSOCIATES, LTD. Site Planning/Studies, Civil Engineering, Traffic/Transportation, Landscape Architecture. Grayslake (847) 223-4804; Chicago (312) 463-0551; Mokena (708) 614-9720; www.eea-ltd.com; geriksson@eea-ltd.com FARNSWORTH GROUP, INC. Architectural and engineering professional services. Normal, IL (309) 633-8436 FGM ARCHITECTS, INC. Architects. Chicago (312) 942-8461; Oak Brook (630) 574-8300; O’Fallon (618) 624-3364; St. Louis (314) 439-1601; Millwaukee (414) 346-7282 www.fgmarchitects.com GREENASSOCIATES, INC. Architecture/construction services.

Deerfield (847) 317-0852; Pewaukee, Wisconsin (262) 746-125 HEALY BENDER PATTON & BEEN ARCHITECTS Architects/Planners.

Naperville (630) 904-4300; www.healybender.com; dpatton@healybender.com HURST-ROSCHE, INC. Architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design.

Hillsboro (217) 532-3959; East St. Louis (618) 398-0890; Marion (618) 998-0075; Springfield (217) 787-1199; dpool@hurst-rosche.com JMA ARCHITECTS Full service professional design firm specializing in K-12 educational design, construction management, strategic/ master planning, health/life safety compliance, building commissioning, and interior space design. South Holland (708) 339-3900; www.jmaarchitects.com; allison@jmaarchitects.com KLUBER ARCHITECTS + ENGINEERS Building design professionals specializing in architecture, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, and fire protection engineers. Batavia (630) 406-1213

LARSON & DARBY GROUP Architecture, engineering, interior design, and technology.

Rockford (815) 484-0739; www.larsondarby.com; snelson@ larsondarby.com LEGAT ARCHITECTS, INC. Architectural and educational planners who specialize in creating effective student learning environments.

Gurnee (847) 622-3535; Oak Brook (630) 990-3535; Chicago (312) 258-9595; www.legat.com PCM+DESIGN ARCHITECTS Provide a full range of architectural services including facility and feasibility studies, architectural design, construction consulting, and related services.

East Peoria (309) 694-5012; www.PCMPLUSD.com PERFORMANCE SERVICES, INC. An integrated design and delivery engineering company serving the design and construction facility needs of K-12 schools. Schaumburg (847) 466-7220 PERKINS AND WILL Architects. Chicago (312) 755-0770 RICHARD L. JOHNSON ASSOCIATES, INC. Architecture, educational planning.

Rockford (815) 398-1231; www.rljarch.com STR PARTNERS Architectural, interior design, planning, cost estimating, and building enclosure/roofing consulting.

Chicago (312) 464-1444 STUDIOGC ARCHITECTURE + INTERIORS StudioGC is passionate communityminded partner, committed to creating imaginative and well-designed facilities.

StudioGC offers innovative planning, programming, architectural, interior design, and cost estimates.

Chicago (312) 253-3400 TRIA ARCHITECTURE An architectural planning and interior design firm that provides services primarily to school districts in the Chicagoland area with an emphasis on service to their clients, and their communities.

Burr Ridge (630) 455-4500

WIGHT & CO. A fully integrated design, engineering, and construction firm that partners with education leaders to create progressive, inspiring, and sustainable learning environments, while helping to manage risk and provide accountability in the delivery of work.

Darien (630) 969-7000; www.wightco.com; bpaulsen@wightco.com WM. B. ITTNER, INC. Full service architectural firm serving the educational community since 1899.

Fairview Heights (618) 624-2080 WOLD ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS Specializing in Pre-K-12 educational design including master planning, sustainable design, architecture, mechanical and electrical engineering, quality review, cost estimation and management. Palatine (847) 241-6100

Building Construction BOLLER CONSTRUCTION CO., INC. Construction Manager and General Contractor specializing in building and renovating schools.

Waukegan (847) 662-5566 CORE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES OF IL., INC. Professional construction management, design-build, and general contracting services. Peoria (309) 404-4700; COREconstruction.com; mikaylavincent@coreconstruction.com F. H. PASCHEN A general/construction manager with extensive experience in new construction and renovation of educational and institutional facilities in the public/ private sectors. Chicago (773) 444-1525; www.fhpaschen.com FREDERICK QUINN CORPORATION Construction management and general contracting. Addison (630) 628-8500; www.fquinncorp.com HOLLAND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, INC. Full service construction management and general contracting firm specializing in education facilities.

Swansea (618) 277-8870

IHC CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES LLC IHC Construction Companies LLC is a full-service construction management firm that delivers new construction, additions, and renovations for School District clients on-time and within budget.

Elgin (847) 742-1516; tlena@ihcconstruction.com INTERNATIONAL CONTRACTORS, INC. (ICI) An award-winning construction management firm specializing in K-12 facilities. Our firm is currently partnering with eight Illinois School Districts on capital improvement projects.

Elmhurst (630) 641-6852 NICHOLAS & ASSOCIATES, INC. Construction management, general contracting, design and build.

Mt. Prospect (847) 394-6200 info@nicholasquality.com PEPPER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY Construction management and general contracting services.

Barrington (847) 381-2760; www.pepperconstruction; jripsky@pepperconstruction.com POETTKER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY Specializing in construction management, design/build, construction consulting services, and energy solutions for education clients. Breese (618) 526-7213; www.poettkerconstruction.com RUSSELL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC. Russell provides successful, knowledgeable construction management and contracting services in the PreK-12 market from concept to completion and continuing care for your facility needs.

Davenport, Iowa (563) 459-4600; www.russellco.com; sbaumann@russellco.com

IASB Service Associates are businesses which offer school-related products and services and which have earned favorable reputations for quality and integrity. Only after careful screening is a business firm invited to become a Service Associate.

To learn more about IASB Service Associates membership, visit www.iasb.com or contact IASB at bkusturin@iasb.com

Computer Software, Supplies, Services COMPUTER INFORMATION CONCEPTS, INC. Infinite Campus student information System and Finance Suite, and Tableau Data Visualization/Analytics.

Greeley, Colorado (312) 995-3342 EDMENTUM We provide fully digital curriculum and assessment tools for educators to utilize in K-12 classrooms to establish blended and personalized environments and advance student learning.

Bloomington, Minnesota (952) 832-1570

S.M. WILSON & CO. Provides construction management and general construction services to education, healthcare, commercial, retail, and industrial clients. St. Louis (314) 645-9595; www.smwilson.com; judd.presley@smwilson.com TRANE HVAC company specializing in design, build, and retrofit.

Willowbrook (636) 305-3600

continued next page

March/April 2022 • 27

Service Associates Directory Consulting DECISIONINSITE, LLC DecisionInsite provides the nation’s school district leaders with the technology, enrollment forecasts, and expertise they need to understand how enrollment impacts their district.

Irvine, California (877) 204-1392 EOSULLIVAN CONSULTING Illinois-based EOSullivan Consulting has developed a proven process the helps school districts with community engagement, survey research, messaging, informational campaigns and referendums. Libertyville (815) 353-1991 ROOM READY Highly qualified audiovisual specialists who specialize in removing the complexity and ensuring that your audiovisual installations just work, both today and in the future. Normal (309) 261-3794

Environmental Services ALPHA CONTROLS & SERVICES, LLC We deliver energy cost justified solutions that make the learning environment comfortable, secure, and efficient. Rockford, Springfield, Champaign (815) 227-4000; www.alpaacs.com; jasonv@alphaacs.com VEREGY Dedicated to assisting K-12 education meet the challenge of providing healthy, safe, and educational appropriate learning environments.

St. Louis (636) 230-0843; Chicago (773) 633-0691; veregy.com; bsmith@veregy.com ENERGY SYSTEMS GROUP A comprehensive energy services and performance contracting company providing energy, facility and financial solutions. Itasca (630) 773-7201; smcivor@energysystemsgroup.com GRP MECHANICAL CO., INC. Renovating buildings through energy savings performance contracting to provide the best learning environment.

HVAC, plumbing, windows, doors, and mechanical services.

Bethalto (618) 779-0050

28 • Illinois School Board Journal

(continued)

IDEAL ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, INC. Asbestos and environmental services.

Bloomington (309) 828-4259 ILLINOIS ENERGY CONSORTIUM Sells electricity and natural gas to school districts, colleges, and universities.

DeKalb (815) 753-9083; www.ILLec.org; hwallace@iasbo.org ENGIE SERVICES U.S. Turnkey partnership programs that enable K12 school districts in Illinois to modernize their facilities; increase safety, security and efficiency; reduce operations costs; and maximize the lifespan of critical assets. Chicago (312) 498-7792; sharon.uslan@engie.com RADON DETECTION SPECIALISTS Radon measurements in elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as all DCFS licensed spaces. We service the entire state of Illinois.

Westmont (630) 325-4443 or (800) 244-4242; www.radondetection.net; KirstenS@radondetection.net

Financial Services BERNARDI SECURITIES, INC. Municipal bond specialty firm; offers a full range of school bond underwriting services, including capital needs financing and debt refinancing.

O’Fallon (618) 206-4180; Peru (815) 587-8972; Chicago (312) 281-2014; jvezzetti@bernardisecurities.com BMO HARRIS BANK BMO Harris Bank’s experienced specialists can help you build a sound strategy to help close budget gaps, manage day-to-day cash flow and maximize your resources.

Chicago (312) 461-7895 EHLERS AND ASSOCIATES School bond issues; referendum help; financial and enrollment studies Roseville, MN (312) 638-5250 GORENZ AND ASSOCIATES, LTD. Auditing and financial consulting.

Peoria (309) 685-7621; www.gorenzcpa.com; tcustis@gorenzcpa.com ICE MILLER, LLP Nationally recognized bond counsel services. Chicago (312) 726-7127

KINGS FINANCIAL CONSULTING, INC. Municipal bond financial advisory service including all types of school bonds; school referenda, county school sales tax; tax revenue forecasts/projections.

Monticello (217) 762-4578 SPEER FINANCIAL, INC. Financial planning and bond issue services.

Chicago (312) 346-3700; www.speerfinancial.com; dphillips@speerfinancial.com STIFEL Full service securities firm providing investment banking and advisory services including strategic financial planning; bond underwriting; referendum and legislative assistance.

Edwardsville (800) 230-5151; noblea@stifel.com WINTRUST FINANCIAL Financial services holding company engaging in community banking, wealth management, commercial insurance premium financing, and mortgage origination. Rosemont (630) 560-2120

Human Resource Consulting BUSHUE HUMAN RESOURCES, INC. Human resource, safety and risk management, and insurance consulting.

Effingham (217) 342-3042; www.bushuehr.com; steve@bushuehr.com

Insurance THE SANDNER GROUP Insurance program management, marketing & claims services for workers’ compensation, property & liability.

Chicago (800) 654-9504

Office Equipment EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS BY FRANK COONEY COMPANY, INC. Furniture for educational environments.

Wood Dale (630) 694-8800

Superintendent Searches ECRA GROUP Superintendent searches, board and superintendent workshops.

Schaumburg (847) 318-0072

ICYMI

Board/Superintendent Communication in a Year of Crisis Moderator: Jeff Feucht, Ed.D.,Superintendent, Lake Park CHSD 108 Panelists: Barb Layer, Board President; Cara Steetz, Board Member; and Beata Swacha, Board Member, Lake Park CHSD 108.

L

Lake Park CHSD 108 has gone through a journey like all of the school districts in Illinois throughout the pandemic. This journey consisted of remote learning, adaptive pauses, vaccine clinics, COVID testing, and other mandates. Throughout this time the school board decided to complete a book study on The Governance Core by Micheal Fullen and Davis Campbell. The board president brought up the idea of the book study because of the demands of the pandemic and the magnitude of decisions needing to be made. The school district also made a shift in district leadership at the beginning of the pandemic when it brought in its current superintendent, Jeff Feucht. By discussing and turning to the Governance mindset, as referenced in the book, they were able to adapt to a similar vision.

ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) features panel reports from the 2021 Joint Annual Conference.

Reporters are participants in the Educational Administration Intern program, a collaboration of IASB and the Illinois Council of Professors of Educational Administration.

ICYMI

The panel session consisted of each panelist from the district providing an overview of the principles shared in the book and how they viewed those principles from the lens of a board member or superintendent. The governance principles shared were systems thinking, strategic focus, deep learning, and managing manner.

“Systems thinking” forced the school board to visualize the big picture, which is the school’s vision.

No decisions were made in isolation.

The school board realized that different perspectives are brought to the table on what is and is not best for the students; however, the vision needed to remain the focus.

“Strategic focus” allows the board to develop a plan forward to the vision. One board member explained that at one time, they thought their role was to hear something in the community and come to the next board meeting to fix it.

However, this approach could take away from the overall vision of the district and get in the way of district leadership. The suggestion was to keep the focus on the strategic longterm goals, the bigger picture.

The next principle, “deep learning,” explained how important it is for the board to be informed.

Communication needs to be up-todate and consistent. In Lake Park CHSD 108, the superintendent

provides the school board with weekly updates in between the monthly board meetings.

“Managing manner” was the last principle discussed. This principle refers to how the board conducts themselves at the meetings through verbal and nonverbal communication. The panelists explained that disagreements do happen but can be handled or resolved professionally.

The panel session came to a close with the superintendent sharing perspective of the governance mindset and how he can best lead the school district and all its stakeholders. New district leadership should come into a school district with a purposeful approach. Taking on a leadership role during the pandemic came with challenges, including building relationships while making tough, sometimes unpopular decisions.

Using purposeful, effective communication efforts and listening, the school district can remain focused on the task at hand. It takes all involved parties to effectively run a school district.  ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) is a semi-regular feature in the IASB Journal, in which students in education administration recap presentations from the past year’s Joint Annual Conference.

This report was prepared by Chris Miesner, principal of Sparta Lincoln School in Sparta CUSD 140.

March/April 2022 • 29

Milestones

In Memoriam Kim Adkins, 57, died December 7, 2021. At the time of her passing she was a member of the Dolton West SD 148 Board of Education, “a valued board member and very instrumental in advocating for student achievement,” according to a district statement.

Sally Ann Auw, 82, died December 23, 2021. She was a past member of the school board for Lake Forest CHSD 115.

Donald L. Bates, 94, died December 22, 2021.He served on the boards of education for Buda and Wyanet districts in Bureau County.

Lewis E. “Gene” Campbell, 73, died December 9, 2021. He was past member and president of the Addison SD 4 school board and the DuPage County ROE board.

Carl J. “Kelly” Carlson, 102, died January 26, 2022.

He was a member of the school board during the formation of Putnam Co. CUSD 535.

Oscar A. Jr. Dahms, 96, died January 13, 2022. He was a past member and president of both the Glenbard THSD 87 and Glen Ellyn SD 41 school boards.

Franklin “Frank” L. Deopere, 88, died January 25, 2022. He had previously served on the school board for Silvis SD 34.

Victor Deters, 99, died January 9, 2022. He had served on the Teutopolis CUSD 50 Board of Education.

30 • Illinois School Board Journal

W. Lee Deutsche, 80, died January 22, 2022. He was a past member of the Crete-Monee CUSD 201-U school board and a longtime promoter of land and water conservation practice in farming.

Gary Lee Edgecombe, 82, died January 1, 2022. He was a member for many years of the Cerro Gordo CUSD 100 school board.

Joseph A. Faletti Sr., 91, died January 4, 2022. He served on the Reed-Custer CUSD 255U school board and the WILCO Area Career Center Board.

Alan Jr. Hallene, 69, died December 14, 2021.He was a past member and president of the Moline-Coal Valley SD 40 school board.

Edith Louise Talbot Jolly, 90, died November 20, 2021. A former teacher and social worker, she served on the Arlington Heights SD 25, including a term as president.

Allen Kief, 90, died January 5, 2022. He was a 10-year school board member and past president of the board for Morris SD 54.

Steven Link, 49, died January 1, 2022. At the time of his passing he was a member of the Johnsburg CUSD 12 Board of Education and the Johnsburg Educational Partnership Foundation. He “wanted to advocate for the children and believed this was his way of doing so.”

Sadonna “Butch” W. McMillen, 80, died December 6, 2021. She served on the Wood River School Board and was a longtime volunteer of the Wood River City Museum.

Thomas J. Meskel, 81, died December 29, 2021. A former educator, he served on the board of education for Grayslake CHSD 127 and coached Science Olympiad teams.

Gerald “Jerry” Meyer, 67, died January 2, 2022. He was a past member and president of the Earlville CUSD 9 school board.

Jonathan Mohle, 89, died September 3, 2021. He was a member and eight-year president of the LaGrange SD 105 school board.

Verne Mundhenke, 90, died December 14, 2021. He was a past member of the Pawnee CUSD 11 Board of Education.

Robert “Bob” O. Nelson, 90, died January 5, 2022. He was a past member of the Manlius school board in Bureau County.

Thomas Nicolay, 93, died January 13, 2022. He was a past member of the Sandoval CUSD 501 school board and a longtime first responder, with service and as a trainer to local fire, coroner, and EMT departments. He led statewide efforts to allow first responders to use automatic defibrillators, and to require smoke detectors in residences.

Kenyon Palmer Patterson, 94, died October 4, 2021. He had served on the Wheatland school board in Will County.

Jim Paul, 90, died December 5, 2021. He served on the school board for Riverside SD 96 and worked for a successful Riverside-Brookfield High School referendum. continued on page 25

Insights “New research suggests students still haven’t regained the academic ground they’ve lost in the disruptions of the ongoing pandemic, and many high school students will continue to struggle after graduation. The average high school junior who took the ACT college-entry test in spring 2021 fell from the 50th to the 46th percentile across English, reading, math, and science — equal to about three months of learning — compared to performance in 2020 and 2019. As a result, the ACT figures, two fewer students out of every 100 who took the test last spring are on track to do well in college courses after graduation.”

“The COVID Academic Slide Could Be Worse Than Expected,” by Sarah D. Sparks, Education Week, February 2

Pre-k has always been important, but never more so than now. Kids who attend pre-kindergarten develop interpersonal skills and are more likely than their peers to graduate from high school, attend college, and earn higher wages as adults. That’s why the recent disruptions to pre-k education have me so worried. Eleanor has spent half of her life in a global pandemic that robbed her of the socialization that is so important in early childhood. I am hopeful that her pre-k classes will help her make up for lost time.

“Now more than ever, families everywhere need free preschool,” Candace Oropeza, Chicago SunTimes Opinion, February 1

School officials across Illinois say a shortage of teachers and substitutes is forcing them to cancel

course offerings, move them online or fill open positions with people who are not fully qualified.

Those are the findings of the latest survey by the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools, the fifth such survey the organization has conducted in as many years. ‘Our schools need help, now more than ever,’ said Mark Klaisner, IARSS president.

‘For five years of our study, we have shown how schools are struggling to find qualified teachers and are under tremendous stress to provide the best education possible while understaffed and overwhelmed.

COVID-19 has only made those challenges worse.’” “‘Understaffed and overwhelmed,’ survey finds schools are struggling across Illinois,” By Peter Hancock, Capitol News Illinois, State Journal-Register, January 18

March/April 2022 • 31

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