Warrior Weekly October 24th

Good evening, Abbott parents and guardians:

Each year, the Illinois State Board of Education prepares a report card for each school in the state, providing a detailed look at the school’s academic performance, student success, school culture and climate, and financial investments.

Those state report cards were published this morning on Wednesday, Oct. 30, and are posted on the Illinois Report Card site, and will be on our school website next week.

We are proud to see our students’ growth in English Language Arts, Science, Math, and increased attendance rates (less students absent 10 or more days from school). This progress reflects investments we have made in our students' curriculum, interventions, and support staff.

Our teachers, administrators, and staff, in partnership with you are continuing to focus on improving student instruction, curriuculum, and attendance. We are also continuing to focus on implementing academic teaming, and our new math and ELA curriculums. Another partner we began working with is Catalyst for Educational Change (https://www.cecweb.org/) to be able to dig deeper into our data and implement change. Additionally, we have implemented a comprehensive advisory program and grade level teams. Teacher now have additional time weekly to collaborate and discuss instructional and student needs.

One component of the School Report Card is the annual summative designation – a descriptor of how well our school is meeting the needs of all students. This designation is federally required and is based on indicators of academic and student success, including growth in English language arts and math, proficiency in science, and chronic absenteeism. We are happy to report that we received a designation of Targeted which is an improvement from the '22-'23 school year.

Our designation of Targeted means that overall our school is performing well, but we have room to improve in how we serve one or more individual student group(s). We qualify to receive additional support from the state to help accelerate academic progress, and we will continue our four-year cycle of school improvement.

Ultimately, this designation gives us the opportunity to reflect on our strengths and areas for growth. As we chart the path forward at Abbott, we will continue to build on the hard work of our teachers and staff in collaboration with families and community partners to make improvements and investments to support every student in reaching their fullest potential. We are focused on improving classroom instruction, giving students in-the-moment feedback, and strengthening their sense of belonging.

As part of our improvement journey, one aspect we have prioritized is student attendance, through our Every Minute Matters/Cada Minuto Importa campaign. We need the help of parents and guardians to ensure that your children are attending school regularly and arriving on time. Chronic absenteeism, defined as the percentage of students who missed 10 percent or more of the prior academic year, is a serious challenge. Every day in school counts and helps build the foundation for your child’s academic success.

In School District U-46, our moral imperative is to change until all our systems measurably work for all children. It is our responsibility to ensure all students are engaged in rigorous learning, receive quality core instruction, and can develop the skills they need for better life chances and opportunities.

We remain committed to continuous improvement so that we can support every student in reaching a bright future. #WE ARE ALL IN AT ABBOTT!

If you have any questions about our school’s status under the state report card, or anything else, please contact me, or you can contact U-46 administration through Let's Talk, our customer service tool. Thank you for your dedication and cooperation as engaged parents.

Please review some of the components of this school year's school improvment plan below and join us for our next parent meeting on November 13th from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM in our library.

Sincerely,

Principal Reyes, Principal Zugel, and Assistant Principal Smith