NORMAL — Students in Normal-based Unit 5 School District who need help in math and literacy will receive help thanks to a new program presented to Board members at the Board’s regularly-scheduled meeting Feb. 24 at Normal Community West High School.
The program, introduced to Board members by Assistant Superintendent Michelle Lamboley, would aid students in Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade focusing on math and literacy with a social-emotional support component added. Parent requests for their student to be part of the program will be how students become involved in the program, Lamboley explained.
School preparedness will be what is focused on for younger students while older students will receive targeted instruction in areas where they are not meeting grade-level expectations, Lamboley explained.
Lamboley said the district anticipates the program would look to serve about 1,500 students, roughly five times more students that are traditionally helped during a summer school period. She added the program being proposed would be of help to students who “have not been able to close gaps†in their education during the regular school year.
Approximately 30 students would be in the Early Learning program at Brigham Elementary, while roughly 800 students would be in the Elementary program at three schools, Cedar Ridge Elementary, Northpoint Elementary, and Oakdale Elementary. Middle school students would attend at Kingsley Junior High School. At all locations, transportation would be provided, as would breakfast and grab-and-go lunches. Early Learning and Elementary programs would be solely in-person sessions.
Early learning, elementary, and junior high students would attend classes Monday-Thursday, June 14 through July 15, from 8:30a.m.-11:30a.m. Summer school for high school students is scheduled for 8a.m.-11a.m. and 12 Noon-3p.m. between June 7-July 2 at both Normal Community High School and Normal Community West High School. High school students would receive breakfast and packaged lunches. The high school sessions would be both in-person and remote.
“Those Who Excel†Award Honorees Recognized: The session began with nine educators being recognized with “Those Who Excel†Awards by Illinois State Board of Education. Illinois State Board of Education has sponsored Those Who Excel Award since 1970, in an effort to honor individuals who make significant contributions to public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools. Awards are presented in five categories: School administrator, student support personnel, educational service personnel, community volunteer and teams.
The teachers honored, and the schools where they work, and award given each are: Mark Huffman, Unit 5 Office, Merit Award as a Community Volunteer; Kim Johnson, Kingsley Junior High School, Merit Award as a member of Student Support Personnel; Paula Birsa, Normal Community West High School, an excellence award as a member of Student Support Personnel; Julie Watson, Northpoint Elementary, Merit Award for Educational Service Personnel; Carrie Chapman, District Office, Merit Award for Office Administration; Lauren Romero, Benjamin Elementary School, Merit Award in Classroom Teaching; Angie Codron, Normal Community West High School, Merit Award as an Administrator; Josie Bensko, George L. Evans Junior High School, an excellence award in Classroom Teaching; and John Bergmann, Normal Community High School, Merit Award in Classroom Teaching.
Two teams of Unit 5 employees also were recognized, as well. They are: Office personnel at Prairieland Elementary School which received a Team Excellence Award, and Unit 5 Office’s Family Coordinator Team which also received a Team Excellence Award.
In congratulating those recognized, District Superintendent Dr. Kristen Weikle called honorees “unique examples of the fine staff we have here at Unit 5.â€
Normal Community High School’s “Good Newsâ€: Trevor Chapman, principal at Normal Community High School, in a “good news†report to Board members, introduced Board members to Aditi Sharma, an NCHS senior who was named the City of Bloomington’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Award recipient at an online ceremony in January. As a leader of Not In Our School and the founder of Inclusive Education Coalition, she has collaborated with peers and adults in her community to organize social justice events, informational workshops, charity events, and school curriculum reform. Sharma plans on double majoring in Political Science and Philosophy.
NCHS Students Address Standards Based Grading In Public Comments: Four NCHS seniors addressed Board members concerning Standard Based Grading. Standards-Based Grading uses a system which evaluates the student using a model that evaluates the student using a scale based on proficiency, and ranges from 1-to-4. The students who spoke to Board members argue the scale does not fit for all classes and teachers do not use it consistently across the board regardless of the subject. Unit 5 began using SBG during the 2017-18 school year. Since then, students have raised concerns about SBG being used.
Saying the district “overlooks why Standards Based Grading isn’t applicable to every subject,†Sri Nithya Yeragorla told Board members, “AP classes are meant to be complex and cannot conform†to the grading standards applied for SBG. She added students who take AP classes “are there to challenge themselves, not to have the grades filtered down so they will fit on a scale.â€
“SBG is unrealistic in preparing students for the real world,†said Katie Krueger. She said it doesn’t aid students for when they must take timed tests such as SAT, ACT, or AP exams. She added SBG puts some students who must retake certain tests for one reason or another at a disadvantage. “The adult world does not allow for unlimited retakes,†she added.
Students “are open to hearing how exactly Standards Based Grading is improving our district, but so far, we have only seen problems arise,†Conner McClelland told Board members. “Lower performing students have been able to increase their grades, but Standard Based Grading requires a certain motivation to improve that not everyone has.†The result of that, he adds, those students don’t see their grades improve.
Sharma also addressed the issue, stating SBG “isn’t very versatile in every subject which leads to confusion grade interpretations which are reflected on students. SBG can be translated to percentages and these percentages can often be unfair to students.†She said under SBG, a student who does something 100 percent correct could get a grade of 90 percent, which she said is unfair. “It’s not only confusing, but it’s frustrating for both students and parents.â€
She added students would like to be heard concerning their concerns about SBG, adding, “We really wish to be heard, and we would like to work alongside the district to reach a compromise. We won’t stop our peaceful opposition of this until we can reach some meaningful outcome that supports the interests of students and teachers.â€