Exploring a Change:Grade Level Centers

vs. Neighborhood Schools

So why consider the change?● Room (Space)

● Shifting Population

● Transportation

● Staffing Analysis Results

Recent Changes● Shift to Full-Day

Kindergarten

● Enrollment for

2016-2017 is 493

students as of

February 10,

2017.

Special Populations● Special Education

○ % of Enrollment

■ 2014- 18%: 2015 - 17%; 2016 - 16.6%

○ Levels of Support

■ Resource and Speech Only, Instructional, Self-Contained

● English Learners

○ EL

○ Bi-Lingual (20+ rule)

■ Arabic

■ Polish

■ Spanish

● Intervention Services

○ Reading

○ Math

○ Enrichment

Students with IEPs By Grade Level CenterGrade Level Center Enrollment Percent

Primary 1,576 27%

Intermediate 1,547 23%

Junior High School 1,835 17%

Students with IEPs% of Time INSIDE the General Education Classroom

0-20%

(Self-Contained)

21-79%

(Instructional)

80-100%

(Resource

and/or Speech)

TOTAL

PreK/EC 32 0 97 129

K-2 40 35 222 297

3-5 46 66 242 354

6-8 45 88 173 306

English Language Learners

School CTL CTR PARK PR HP LIB MR

ESL ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Arabic ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Need Need

Polish ✓

Spanish ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

5 Year Trend of English Learner Population of Orland SD 135

● Number of students being

serviced in the English Learner

(EL) Program has increased by

nearly 140% over the past 5 years

● Orland SD 135’s EL population is

commensurate with state

averages

Data retrieved from Illinois School Report Card

Kindergarten EL Population Growth

● Nearly one-fourth of incoming

kindergartners qualified for EL

services in FY 2017

● 9% increase in EL Kindergartners

from FY 2015 to FY 2016

● 23% increase in EL Kindergartners

from FY 2016 to FY 2017

Data retrieved from K Model Screeners, Orland SD 135

Demographics of Orland SD 135’s EL Program

● 568 students in EL Program

● 11% of Student Population

● 30 Different Languages

● Most Predominant:

○ Arabic

○ Spanish

○ Polish

Powerschool Data as of 11/1/16

Intervention Services at K-5

School CTL CTR PARK PR HP LIB MR

Reading 31 42 43 36 43 41 29

Math 19 17 26 26 23 44 27

Enrichment 4 6 34 32 41

Small grade level cohorts have significant advantages. These include:

● Higher academic achievement

● Greater student participation

● Greater connection among students

● Students feel safer AND are safer

● Teachers have greater sense of ownership

● Increased parent involvement

Positive effects of longer grade spans include:

● Students have strong relationships with more adults

● Schools are safer.

○ Students are better known by more adults.

○ Older students are guides and mentors.

● Younger students can learn from older students.

● Parental involvement remains strong in higher grades.

Positive effects for students in buildings with longer grade spans include:

● Strong student connection to THEIR school.

● Students able to grow with a deep sense of rootedness.

● With more time with students, teachers are able to focus on student and professional development

and successes.

Positive effects for teachers in buildings with longer grade spans include:

● Teachers and other staff in lower grades gain job satisfaction because they see their influence and can watch

students grow.

● Teachers and other staff in higher grades can easily gain insights on students’ learning styles, family context,

successful strategies by talking to their earlier-grade teachers

Neighborhood and community:

● Strong and accessible friendships and community for school children.

● Elementary-age students get to know other children in their neighborhood through school.

● Children walk and bike (and scoot, and roller blade, and...) more within neighborhoods.

● Increased family connectedness, community, and mutual support within neighborhoods.

● More parental (neighborhood) interaction through ongoing association through their children’s shared

school.

Negative effects of transitions between schools include:

● Transitions cause a discernible drop in students’ academic achievement.

●

● Academic drops are often most pronounced for students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.

● Disrupts familiar social structures and communities.

○ Increased anxiety

○ Lower self- confidence

● Students entering a new school are often less prepared for their new grade because instruction is less well

articulated across the transition.

Transportation / environment / health:

● Shorter commute times for students

○ This means more time at home doing activities.

● More walking and biking to school, supporting healthy and active child and parent lifestyles.

● Schools are safer.

Current K-2 Boundaries

Current 3rd Grade Boundaries

Current 4-8 Boundaries

Pause for Q & A