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| Blog From The Superintendent |
12/21/2011As 2011 comes to a close, it is fitting to reflect on many of the significant accomplishments achieved in District 225 under the leadership of the Board of Education.
- Glenbrook Evening High School and Off-campus moved into the former district office in January. Renovated to meet the needs of each, the building represents the first permanent home for Off-campus in 25 years and the first for GBE since its inception in 1975.
- Both GBN and GBS posted their highest ACT composite scores in history.
- Incumbent board members Bob Boron, Skip Shein and Joel Taub were re-elected. Mr. Shein was re-elected to his third year as board president.
- District 225 maintained a AAA bond rating with Moody's and Standard and Poor's despite a lagging economy.
- Ongoing operating expenditures were reduced by $704,646 during fiscal year 2011 with plans for a further reduction of $520,000 for fiscal year 2012. Current operating reserves are 20% higher than the 2006 projection.
- A new three-year communications plan designed to increase awareness of the district and improve communications with students, parents and staff was adopted along with a new district policy for communications.
- E-newsletters were launched in a variety of formats, replacing printed publications such as Connections to provide the community with more frequent updates and reduce costs.
- School calendars were transitioned to Google making them interactive for our school community.
- A new social media policy was adopted and subsequently, Facebook and Twitter accounts were launched by the high schools.
- A new web portal was launched, making electronic information including grades, available to students and parents for the first time.
- Response to Intervention processes were launched at both high schools.
- The theme of engagement was adopted as a platform for district and school improvement efforts along with goals to raise the engagement level of both students and staff.
- Energy consumption was reduced by 11%, resulting in a savings of $186,260.
- A new three-year technology plan for the district was adopted, resulting in a savings of $127,000.
- A plan to reduce paper use, print volume and mailings by 10% during the 2011-2012 school year was established.
- Glenbrook South began a year-long celebration marking its 50th year of serving the Village of Glenview.
- A post-high school study using data from the National Clearing House revealed that 95% of Glenbrook graduates attending college are retained for their second year of study as compared to 71.7% for Illinois and 74.7% nationally. Approximately 94% of Glenbrook graduates rated their preparation as good or excellent as compared to 56% in an Associated Press survey.
The Glenbrooks serve two outstanding communities who share high expectations for student achievement. Our potential for the future is unlimited as we work together to face the challenges of the future. Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2012! 11/20/2011The term "college readiness" has emerged as a political buzzword for school restructuring and accountability. The ACT Corporation captured the attention of many media sources last year when it declared that only 23% of students in the United States were college ready. What does that really mean?
According to ACT, in order for a student to be college ready, they must pass all four subject area benchmarks. The ACT data show that 54% of Glenbrook students in the Class of 2011 met all four benchmarks as compared to 23% for the state of Illinois. It is interesting to note that by ACT's own advertised statistics, 65% of college freshman who achieved none of the ACT benchmarks were successfully retained after their freshman year in college.
The National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) provides data on college retention and graduation rates of our students. According to NSC data, 95% of Glenbrook graduates attending college are successfully retained and return for their second year of study. By comparison, retention rates for the United States and Illinois are 74.7% and 71.7% respectively.
In another survey of Glenbrook graduates, results indicated that approximately 94% rated their academic preparation for college as "good" or "excellent." By comparison, a recent Associated Press survey revealed that only 56% of college students across the country rated their high school as "good" or "excellent" in preparing them for college.
Although the concept of college readiness is still emerging, the Glenbrooks will continue to pay close attention to the preparation of students for college success and will seek reliable measures that will indicate areas for improvement. We enjoy a long history of success in the Glenbrooks, and are appreciative for the essential role our community plays in preparing students for the future.
With that tradition and success in mind, we join Glenbrook South in celebrating their 50th year of education and salute the many people who have contributed to the formation and development of this great high school. Constructed to meet the needs of a growing student population, GBS opened its doors to students in the fall of 1962. The building layout was based on the "school-within-a-school" concept and received national awards and accolades for its innovative design. The Titans of GBS quickly catapulted onto the national scene and have consistently demonstrated excellence and innovation for education at the high school level. They are a constant source of pride for our school community and the Village of Glenview. 5/3/2011Think of a Glenbrook teacher or administrator. Are they a Mac or a PC? Recently, they were asked to select their next laptop as part of the district computer refresh cycle. In the Spring of 2008, approximately 500 Apple MacBook laptops were purchased as part of a three-year lease agreement, allowing users to become mobile in a wireless environment. The Apple MacBook was selected for purchase in an effort to resolve the long-standing Glenbrook debate over the Mac and PC platforms. The MacBook laptop met the challenge, giving users the option of Windows XP or Leopard operating systems or both could be operated simultaneously using the Parallels application. Although there were technical hurdles along the way with some applications and peripherals, the device has served the district well.
Over time, the debate over Macs and PCs has faded as applications supported by the district have become increasingly web-based and independent of operating systems. Since most classroom and administrative applications can be operated successfully on either platform, users can select the platform that best meets their needs and gives them most comfort. For this leasing period, Glenbrook staff members were given a choice between the MacBook and a comparable Lenovo PC. Drumroll please……..and the results are in!
At GBN, 142 out of 209 staff members or 68% selected a MacBook and 67 or 32% selected a Lenovo PC. At GBS, 118 out of 259 staff members or 45% will continue to use a MacBook and 141 or 55% will return to a PC environment. MacBook users will continue to have the option of a dual platform environment with both Windows 7 and Snow Leopard operating systems. Lenovo PC users will have only the Window 7 operating system. It is interesting to note that approximately 20% of the MacBook users have elected to go to only a Snow Leopard operating system that allows them much greater storage space on the hard drive.
Go ahead, ask them. Are you a Mac or a PC?
3/30/2011
In the Summer of 2008, District 225 made the decision to transition from conventional paper transcripts to an electronic format. The purpose for the change was to ensure timely, guaranteed delivery in a secure environment that is now the standard for doing business with colleges and universities. As part of the process, students and parents receive an electronic receipt that ensures that all timelines are met and can be clearly documented with admission officials. Prior to the use of electronic transcripts, there was frequent concern over whether transcripts had been sent or received and in a number of cases, the high schools were blamed inappropriately for the mishandling of a transcript by the college admission staff that handle potentially thousands of student applications.
Docufide, the company selected for this service, provides a secure electronic delivery platform for pdf files prepared by the Glenbrook High Schools to colleges and universities in a standardized format that is accepted both nationally and internationally. If the college does not accept electronic transcripts, a paper copy is mailed to the school by Docufide. District 225 negotiated a service contract with Docufide that keeps the expense as low as possible for students and parents. It would be impossible for District 225 to replicate this service internally since it requires an agreement with each of the accepting colleges or universities and Glenbrook seniors apply to hundreds of different institutions each year.
The majority of the Docufide cost comes from service charges from credit card companies, which can vary depending on the type of card used. Profits realized by Docufide are not at the expense of taxpayers, but are realized from the fees charged to parents and students with the exception of transcripts sent by the district for students of lower income. The Glenbrook High Schools do not profit from the use of this service, which is a common practice at many schools. We feel strongly that taxpayers should not bear the burden of costs associated with student transcripts except as aid to students who qualify for financial assistance. We also feel that the school district should not use this service as a source of local revenue. By comparison, fees charged for electronic transcripts at the Glenbrook High Schools are the lowest in the area.
3/18/2011
During March Institute Day, a new district initiative was launched called "Engagement," a concept that is gaining momentum in both the public and private sectors. The district will be seeking to improve the quality and quantity of engagement throughout the organization. Engagement will also serve as a conceptual umbrella for current school improvement efforts and as a base for collaboration and the sharing of best practices.
What is engagement? Although it is actively discussed and seemingly understood by many, a common definition doesn't seem to exist in educational research. To bring clarity to our discussions, we have adopted a definition of engagement offered by the High School Study of Student Engagement (HSSSE) based at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. According to HSSSE Director, Ethan Yazzie-Mintz, "engagement can best be understood as a relationship: between the student and school community, the student and school adults, the student and peers, the student and instruction, and the student and curriculum." The HSSSE definition utilizes three dimensions of engagement: Cognitive/Intellectual/Academic Engagement, Social/Behavioral/Participatory Engagement, and Emotional Engagement. More simply stated, the three dimensions are engagement of the mind, engagement in the life of the school, and engagement of the heart.
For schools, student engagement has a direct impact on student achievement and can be improved through instructional strategies, curriculum development and relationship building. Every staff member plays an important role in the three dimensions of student engagement. At the same time, our staff engages with the school and the district as an employee. As this concept emerges in the private sector, the quality of engagement for employees with the organization is known to directly impact worker productivity. Improved worker productivity for our employees benefits students in their classroom, athletic or activity experiences. Therefore, analyzing our organization and seeking to improve the quality and quantity of engagement in all areas for students and staff is important for supporting school improvement efforts.
Dr. Kevin Feldman was the keynote speaker for the March Institute event that included a day-long series of structured activities for the District 225 staff focusing on engagement. He presented a number of teacher-oriented strategies for increasing student engagement in the classroom. It was a great way to start a conversation about engagement with our schools and across the district. Our goal following the March Institute event is to keep the conversation going at a variety of levels along with collaboration efforts within the schools and across the district that will raise the level of engagement for students and staff.
3/2/2011Why doesn't the district provide free textbooks to all students? This is a common question from many parents as they face the significant costs associated with textbooks required by our schools. There are some states and districts across the country who provide textbooks to their students, but around the Chicagoland area, either the sale or rental of textbooks is by far the most common practice. The State of Illinois has no official textbook adoption process and does not provide direct funding to school districts for their distribution on an annual basis.
When Northfield Township High School District 225 was founded in 1947, a fundamental decision was made by the board of education that taxpayers should not be asked to provide funding for student textbooks or transportation and no taxes were levied to fund them. The district has remained consistent with that philosophy since that time which is also followed by many districts in the area, including New Trier, Evanston, Highland Park/Deerfield, Stevenson, Maine Township, Niles and Arlington Heights District 214. District 225 does provide free textbooks and supplemental materials to all students who qualify as low income under federal guidelines.
Under Illinois State Code, in order for the district to provide free textbooks to all students, a petition of 5% of eligible voters in the district is required to bring the proposal forward for consideration by voters. The school board would then submit the question of providing free textbooks to all students to voters at a general election.
The board of education and district administration closely monitors the costs of textbooks each year and works actively to keep the overall costs to a minimum through the school bookstores. ISBN numbers are provided to parents and students, enabling them to seek the best deal possible from any source they may find. A textbook rental program has also been researched for each of the last two years, but was determined to be limited in scope and more expensive to families in comparison to the existing book buy-back program. As publishers make more textbooks available electronically and tablet and reader technologies continue to evolve, the district will consider the use of electronic textbooks and similar resources that can be a potential savings to parents and students without a drop in the overall quality of instruction.
2/21/2011Two days of school were missed with the recent blizzard. The common question is "Do we have to make these days up and if so, when will it be?" The answer is yes, the days will have to be made up and the district will be conducting official student attendance days on Monday, April 4 and Friday, June 10. The state requires a minimum of 178 student attendance days and the district calendar for 2010-2011 includes 178 student attendance days along with 10 designated emergency days. If the district is forced to close for an emergency such as inclement weather, the cancelled day is to be made up on the first scheduled emergency day. The first scheduled emergency day following the recent closings is April 4 and the second is June 10. The following are some additional frequently asked questions and answers:
Q: Will graduation be moved due to the recent closings?
A: No. Graduation will be held on June 5 for both schools. Senior final exams and attendance days will remain as scheduled on the school calendar.
Q: Will final exams for all other students be rescheduled?
A: Final exams for juniors, sophomores and freshman are always scheduled as the last three days of the semester. Final exams will be held on June 8, 9 and 10 unless otherwise advertised by the school. The last day of school for teachers is now Monday, June 13.
Q: If we have another closing due to inclement weather, what will happen?
A: Students would be required to attend school on Monday, June 13, which is the next designated emergency day.
Q: Will the start of Summer School be delayed?
A: No. However, further school cancellations will cause the district to reconsider the scheduled start of summer school, which is Thursday, June 16.
If you have further questions regarding the school calendar, please contact the building administration at your school. They will be happy to address any concerns. 1/4/2011Transparency is currently a very popular concept across the country, but I guess it depends on your point of view. Prior to making grades available electronically, we discussed the nuances of the system with teachers, parents and students in an effort to customize the system to meet their needs. Teachers were concerned that if not properly implemented, the availability of grades online could make their job more difficult and might bring undue criticism. They also felt that students might experience even more stress in an extremely competitive academic environment. Students on the other hand, wanted to know more about how they were doing in class and were anxious to have their grades available. We anticipated that there would be a high volume of use by students when grades were made available.
Although many students wanted to view their grades, a large number of them voiced concern over their parents having access to the same information. That form of transparency was not very appealing. Their fear was that some parents might become obsessed with checking their student's grades and exert even more pressure on them to do well. It is interesting to note, however, that the students did not think a high percentage of their parents would take advantage of the opportunity. To address student concerns, both schools emphasized the importance of this new source of information and how it should be used by parents to better support students.
On November 18, online grades became available for the first time through the portal known as HomeLogic. On December 7, user statistics revealed that 1886 out of 2178 students at GBN had used the HomeLogic portal to access their information and 2186 out of 2665 students at GBS had done the same. To our surprise, participation by parents matched the levels predicted by our students. Only 247 GBN parents and 334 GBS parents had registered in the HomeLogic system and accessed information. As we move forward, it is encouraging to see the current level of restraint being demonstrated by parents as they begin to use this new resource. 12/30/2010For the last 26 years, moving has been an expected event for the staff of the Glenbrook Off Campus program. From the Naval Air Station in what is now the Glen, to Anthony Trail in Northbrook, to their current location on Waukegan Road in Glenview, the staff has relocated the program. With each move, staff consistently expressed the need and for something more permanent that would meet the needs of the 50 to 60 students from GBN and GBS who attend the program each year. With the purchase of the Passport Plaza building at 3801 West Lake Avenue across from the entrance to Glenbrook South High School, the district could finally plan a permanent home for the Off Campus program.
 By moving the district administrative offices and renovating the 1835 Landwehr building, a great space, designed to meet the needs of the Off Campus program was created. Classrooms are now of the same quality as those enjoyed at GBN and GBS. They are equipped with the same technology as the two high schools and are designed with the flexibility required to meet the individual and group needs of the Off Campus students.
The building layout is also a great fit for the Glenbrook Evening High School that currently serves 50 to 60 students each year. GBE was started in 1976 as an alternative high school designed to meet the needs of students who find the completion of high school difficult in the traditional day school programs offered at GBN and GBS. The 1835 Landwehr facility will be used during the normal school day by the Off Campus program and at night by GBE, introducing greater efficiency in facility use. Some special programs such as automotives will continue to be held in the GBS facility, but large areas of the GBS building will no longer be needed during the week by GBE.
Students and staff in the Off Campus program will move during the week of January 17. Glenbrook Evening High School will begin using the facility with the start of the second semester in early February. We are all excited to see these two valuable programs find a permanent home! 12/29/2010There are a total of ten emergency days listed as part of the District 225 school calendar to substitute for scheduled school days that are cancelled due to emergencies such as inclement weather. In previous years, these ten emergency days followed the end of the school year and if used, extended the school year later into the month of June. This year, for the first time, two emergency days have been placed within the school year calendar. The purpose is to avoid an extended school year that potentially conflicts with a variety of summer activities.
The first emergency day is scheduled for Friday, January 14. If school has not been cancelled during the first semester due to inclement weather or other emergency by the close of school on Thursday, January 13, the following day will become a non-attendance day for students and staff. The school community will enjoy a four-day weekend and students will have extra time to prepare for final exams which begin when school resumes on Tuesday, January 18.
The second emergency day is Monday, April 4, which is the first day following spring break. If no emergency days are used between Tuesday, January 18 and the close of school on Friday, March 25, then Monday, April 4 will become a non-attendance day for students and staff, thus extending spring break by one day. The remaining eight emergency days are scheduled at the end of the school year and would extend the school year later into June.
It is important that students, staff and parents avoid making travel arrangements that conflict with the two emergency days scheduled within the school year calendar. If the days are needed as make-up days for emergency school closures, students and staff will be expected to be in attendance.
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