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School improvement plan for BJH  Share
Even though Beecher Junior High scored well on ISAT tests taken last school year, John Jennings, the Junior High School's principal, has been working with a team of teachers to strive for improving the scores. Jennings presented a report to the school board last Monday on the results of the tests and the strategies to obtain the No Child Left Behind's requirement of 100% of students meeting or exceeding state standards by 2014. Using one of the district's new interactive whiteboards, Jennings presented the junior high's report card, which can be found at http://iirc.niu.edu/. Jennings pulled up the website, located BJHS, and clicked to the AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress). He or anyone can see that 94% of students met or exceeded reading standards, while 92% of students met or exceeded math requirements. The site also shows that the attendance rate at BJHS is 95.5%. According to Jennings, attendance was a concern four years ago. The test scores are so high that the number of students falling below state standards is in the single digits. The low number of students needing specialized help can be handled by the teachers Ð especially with their average teaching experience being at 10.7 years. Jennings discussed the change in demographics including an increase in the low income population and also a past mobility rate of 20%. Typically these factors lower test scores; however, even with the students in such transformation, the scores remain at a steady high rate. Jennings observed that Beecher Junior High is ''consistently above meeting and exceeding'' state standards. He attributed the result to the school board's commitment in 2005 to lower the class size.
Jennings continued his presentation with an analysis of the Explore Test, which is a precursor to the ACT. Based on the composite score of this test, 73% of Beecher junior high students are reaching the benchmark for college readiness. The consequence of all these scores is an action plan for increasing the scores to a higher level. As a part of the reading curriculum, BJHS students will use the Accelerated Reading program to increase fluency, comprehension and vocabulary. Teachers also will monitor student growth using the STAR reading assessment twice a year. In order to help educators, an independent reading consultant again will score extended response samples from each grade level. The process will help teachers to understand which basis the state is using to judge this portion of the tests. In addition, reading teachers will implement a web-based standardized reading assessment to monitor student achievement twice during the school year. Finally, parents will be provided examples of extended responses so they can understand the requirements for their students to meet state standards. Similar strategies will be used in the math department. Students will be required to write extended and short responses at each grade level, while teachers will conduct a ''Problem of the Day'' three times a week to familiarize students with ISAT standardized questions. Teachers will assess students twice a year and also use PowerSchool to update parents on academic progress of their students. Finally, in the area of writing, which has the most room for improvement, the focus will be met with two persuasive and two narrative essays required at each grade level. Grammar will be practiced with ''Daily Oral Language'' lessons four days a week. Also, teachers will be participating in an ISAT writing workshop presented by the Illinois Principal's Association. The plan is comprehensive and is aimed at bringing about another year of imporved test scores by Beecher's Junior High students. Lynn Dill is a reporter for Russell Publications.
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