Batavia Illinois – The 5th Ward

Presentations by administrators regarding their School Improvement Plans (SIP). School administrators presented specific metrics and goals for academic growth, particularly in literacy and math, as well as social-emotional learning targets focused on improving students’ “sense of belonging” via Panorama survey data. 

Looks like smartphones are more of a distraction at the high school level while smart watches are more of an issue at the elementary school level.  Worth watching if you have children in the school system and want to see how their school is doing.

J.B. Nelson Elementary Presentation

• School Culture and Achievement: The school administrators introduced achievement badges, described as “brag tags,” which students earn for modeling school-wide expectations and grade-level academic goals (e.g., fact fluency within 20) .
• Data Reflection: Instructional rounds and CHAMPS (Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, Success) data showed improvements compared to the previous fall, specifically regarding success criteria and student regulation .
• Belonging Interventions: “Regulation stations” were implemented mid-year last year and are now present in every space. They allow students to self-regulate and refocus, with parents reporting positive usage at home as well . Belonging data is starting stronger this fall compared to last year .
• Cell Phone/Device Policy: While the school follows the “off and put away” policy, staff reported that the primary issue is not cell phones but smartwatches and parents texting students during the day . There have been no office discipline referrals regarding devices yet, though some staff report daily conversations with students about devices .

Rotolo Middle School Presentation

• Academic Goals: The Principals and Instructional Coaches presented “lofty” growth goals, aiming for 67-70% growth in Math and Reading by the end of the year .
• Belonging and Equity: The school aims to grow their Panorama belonging score by 2% to reach 74%. This goal was set after consulting Panorama representatives, who indicated 2% is significant growth for a school their size .
• Instructional Strategies (CHAMPS): The school is deepening CHAMPS implementation by focusing on “Opportunities to Respond” (OTR). The goal is 14 active responses per 10-minute observation; they are currently at 11.5 .
• Intervention (Bulldog Block): A designated 10-15 minute block is used for reading (Mondays/Fridays) and IXL skill building (mid-week). Teachers are using gamification, punch cards, and leaderboards to motivate students during this independent work time .
• Professional Development: Faculty meetings are now utilized for professional development (PD), including reading the book 10 to 25 regarding student motivation . Instructional rounds involve School Leadership Teams (SLT) visiting classrooms to observe engagement and student discourse .
• Cell Phone Policy: A new rule this year prohibits cell phones during lunch for all grades. While the transition was difficult initially, it is now the norm . There have been only five recorded violations this year . Administrators noted that the lunchroom environment has improved drastically, becoming more positive and controlled .

Alice Gustafson Elementary (AGS) & Early Childhood Center Presentation

• Early Childhood Goals: The focus is on pre-literacy skills (identifying/sounding out letters) and independent daily routines like arrival and handwashing to prepare for kindergarten .
• AGS Academic Goals: The school aims for 80% of students to score at or above the 50th percentile in ELA. Fall data shows 79% are currently proficient .
• Belonging and “Grit”: Panorama data indicated a weakness in students’ ability to persevere (grit). The goal is for 100% of students to participate in three learning activities requiring sustained effort .
• Instructional Actions: The school is utilizing John Hattie’s high-impact strategies, specifically explicit Tier 2 vocabulary instruction . They are also implementing a cooperative learning model observed in Elgin School District to help high-achieving students work better together .
• Data Analysis: A deep dive into Panorama data revealed 8% of students did not have a trusted adult at school. The SLT immediately action-planned to connect these students with adults .
• Cell Phone Policy: Similar to other elementary schools, cell phones are not an issue, but smartwatches are. The Principal utilized a message drafted by another principal to communicate expectations to parents regarding texting during the day .

Grace McWayne Elementary (GMS) Presentation

• Literacy Goals: The school is taking a whole-language approach, focusing on oracy (speaking/listening) and writing to improve vocabulary and critical thinking. They aim to increase reading growth from 55% to 58% .
• Belonging: Using a “Superhero” theme aligned with the “Portrait of a Graduate,” the school aims to move Panorama favorability from 72% to 76% .
• Oracy and Writing: The school is defining “academic conversation success criteria” (e.g., answering in complete sentences, citing evidence) . They are aligning writing expectations with Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) exemplars .
• Professional Development: SLT members committed to video recording themselves teaching to evaluate student engagement and discourse using a rubric, intending to roll this out to the wider staff later .
• Cell Phone Policy: There have been three office referrals, all involving smartwatches. Teachers report daily reminders to students to put watches in backpacks if they become distractions .

H.C. Storm Elementary Presentation

• Academic Goals: The focus is on ELA proficiency and growth, aligning with the district’s strategic plan .
• Belonging: The school is focusing on students having a supportive adult and feeling supported. They are using “Street Data” to avoid bias and deficit mindsets .
• Student Voice: Focus groups with 3rd-5th graders regarding “student-to-student respect” were conducted to empower student voices and identify solutions for peer interactions .
• Engagement: The school is hosting a “Reading Olympics” literacy night in February .
• Attendance Analysis: The Principal noted a discrepancy between the Illinois Report Card (which flagged Hispanic/Latino chronic absenteeism at 12.33%) and internal data (which shows 94.25% attendance for that demographic since 2016) . Proactive communication with families has improved attendance and reduced nurse visits .
• Cell Phone Policy: There were 30 referrals total for discipline, with a small percentage of repeat offenders. Regarding devices, smartwatches are the primary issue, with parents sometimes picking up students based on smartwatch texts without the school’s knowledge .

Hoover Wood Elementary Presentation

• Literacy Goals: The goal is to increase the percentage of students meeting math growth targets in reading by 2% (to 61%) .
• Belonging: The goal is to maintain the 70% belonging score, which had dropped the previous year but recovered in the fall .
• Instructional Strategies: The school is in year two of a student collaboration initiative derived from instructional rounds, where teachers act as coaches while students problem-solve .
• Digital Interventions:
  • Video Announcements: The Principal embeds “Portrait of a Graduate” themes into daily video announcements .
  • Howie’s Heroes: A digital positive reward system where teachers submit recognitions, aiming for 100 awards before winter break .
  • Care Sheets: A digitized behavior tracking system allowing the Principal to track negative interactions across different locations (e.g., music, recess) to identify trends .
  • Degman Drops: A Google form allowing students to message the Principal directly for help, which has facilitated early intervention in peer conflicts .
• Cell Phone Policy: No major issues with phones; smartwatches are present but have not required office intervention .

Louise White Elementary Presentation

• Literacy Goals: Aiming for 60% of students to meet or exceed MAP growth targets .
• Belonging (Peer Relationships): The goal is to improve the end-of-year score by 10%. They have already seen a 3% improvement .
• Social-Emotional Learning (SEL):
  • Conflict Resolution: Implementing “Stop, Walk, Talk” for low-level behaviors and a “Peace Path” (to be painted on the playground) for independent problem solving .
  • “Colonies”: These are inter-grade level groups (Kindergarten through 5th grade) that meet regularly to foster relationships. The intent is for students to stay in the same “colony” year over year to build long-term bonds .
• Cell Phone Policy: Non-issue. Zero office referrals. One conversation with a student recorded .

Batavia High School Presentation

• Academic Goals: Goals are based on ACT proficiency. For ELA, the goal is 55% meeting college readiness benchmarks (current seniors hit 60% last year). For Math, the goal is 50% .
• Belonging: The goal is 67% on Panorama. While this places the high school in the 90th percentile nationally, the SLT is concerned about the remaining 30%, specifically focusing on disparities involving low-income students and extracurricular participation .
• ACT Preparation: The school is implementing “Mastery Prep,” an adaptive platform for grades 9-11 that creates individualized lessons based on pre-tasks. This helps address equity gaps for students who cannot afford private tutoring .
• Cell Phone Policy:
  • Status: There have been 66 recorded electronics violations this year .
  • Implementation: The policy is “off and away,” but enforcement varies. Some teachers use pockets/caddies where students deposit phones upon entry (increasingly common in freshman/sophomore classes), while others allow phones in backpacks .
  • Challenges: Administrators noted that 25% of the student body are legally adults (18 years old), and inconsistency among staff enforcement is a source of frustration .

Board Discussion & Closing

• Hattie’s Research: A Board Member asked for clarification on the “Hattie” effect sizes mentioned by AGS. The Principal explained that a score of 0.4 represents a typical year’s growth, so strategies scoring higher (like 0.48) are considered high-impact .
• Growth vs. Benchmarks: A Board Member shared insights from an IASB webinar, noting that Illinois has changed proficiency benchmarks. The discussion emphasized that focusing on student growth (percentiles) is more accurate than static benchmarks, similar to tracking a child’s height on a growth chart at a pediatrician’s office .
• Conclusion: The Board President affirmed the district’s focus on growth and “playing each play correctly” rather than just the final score . A district-level presentation follows on the 16th .

Docs:  https://go.boarddocs.com/il/bps101/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=DP2R9A6CBFA3

Author: Jim Fahrenbach