Director of Student Services Martha Ryan-Toye presented information about the 2013 Illinois State Achievement Test (ISAT) scores for District 90 schools. She noted that District student achievement scores have remained very stable over time, and explained the impact and implications of the recent "cut-score" change instituted by the Illinois State Board of Education. 

The new cut-scores represent a more rigorous measurement standard that affected ISAT scores across the state and the District in 2013.However, Ms. Ryan-Toye emphasized that the new performance standards do not indicate that our students are less capable or knowledgeable than before - merely that the "performance bar" has been raised. She also reviewed the implications of the new Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements.

District 90 will be one of the field testing sites for the new PARCC assessment in Spring 2014. Willard Principal Merryl Brownlow explained how the assessment will likely be administered at Willard school. The field testing will also be conducted in sixth and eighth grades at Roosevelt Middle School. However, the State has indicated that the District and schools will not receive the results.

As new testing data becomes available, teachers and administrators will continue to employ the problem-solving process that has been established by the District to review, discuss, and evaluate achievement data collaboratively. The emphasis will continue to be on how results relate to student growth.

504 and IEP Compliance  

Director of Special Education Karen Boozell presented information about the District's processes and procedures related to Individual Health Care Plans (IHCP), 504 plans, and Individual Educational Plans (IEP's). The IHCP's include accommodations for conditions such as food allergies, asthma or diabetes. She also discussed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Part of the District's mandated responsibility is to provide evaluation and special education support services for private schools within the Village of River Forest as well. Most of these services are provided by District staff at the private school buildings for students requiring services.

Each school has a support team in place to ensure that every student is provided with the appropriate services, and many efforts are made to ensure that necessary procedures and processes are followed with fidelity.