October 30, 2023

October 30, 2023

Dear District 67 Families and Community:

Earlier today, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released its 2023 Report Card, an annual report intended to show how the state, each school, and each district are progressing on multiple indicators of student success. The results, based upon data gathered in the 2022-2023 school year, highlight both our strengths and areas for growth, many of which we are already addressing through curriculum changes and targeted support.

2023 District 67 School Designations

In the new report, three of our District 67 schools—Cherokee, Sheridan, and Deer Path Middle School East (5th and 6th grades)—advanced from the "Commendable" to the "Exemplary" designation. Everett and Deer Path Middle School West (7th and 8th grades) received "Commendable" designations. A closer look at the data reveals that Everett missed "Exemplary" by just one point, largely due to a higher-than-average chronic absenteeism rate.

You may find detailed information about ISBE summative designations here or in the video below.

Proficiency and Growth
Please note that proficiency rates indicate the percentage of students meeting state targets, while growth measures the percentile of growth compared to peers in the state.

Overall, District 67 data have improved, with an average increase districtwide in proficiency rates:

• + 9.5% - English Language Arts (ELA)

• + 7.6% - Math

We also saw a 1% proficiency decline in math at Cherokee, and a 1 percentile decline in growth in ELA at DPM West.

Continuous Improvement

While we can and should celebrate that three of our schools have moved up to an Exemplary designation, we also recognize the need for improvement at DPM West. Those scores are not where we want them. As this cohort continues its effort to return to pre-pandemic levels, we have made significant curriculum changes. We are currently implementing our first year of the new, science-backed Amplify ELA curriculum throughout District 67. At the same time, we are introducing Big Ideas Algebra, and the new Illustrative math curriculum adopted last year has already shown promising results.

We continue to evolve our curricula with a focus on student outcomes, not only as they are captured through data on the annual Report Card but, in my view, most importantly, in the daily learning that takes place in our classrooms and beyond. With our Portrait of a Learner and five-year strategic plan in place to measure our progress, I am confident we have the roadmap we need to meet our goals and continue our tradition of academic excellence.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we support your students in this chapter of their lifelong learning journey.

Sincerely,