EDWARDSVILLE - During their regular meeting on Aug. 26, 2024, the Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 Board of Education voted unanimously to approve the Woodland School Improvement Plan.
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Dr. Andy Williams, interim principal of Woodland Elementary School, presented the improvement plan alongside members of the Woodland School Improvement Team. Woodland Elementary School is currently a targeted school, meaning one or more student groups is performing at or below the level of “all students” group in the lowest performing 5% of schools, according to Woodland’s scores on the Illinois Report Card.
“The members of this team have worked very hard through the summer months to develop a plan to make us all better educators and to continue the path that we were already on, to shift our focus from teaching to learning for our students,” Williams said. “When we think about our district’s theme of, ‘How Can We?,’ we are committed to each student learning at high levels. This plan is a direction for us to get there.”
Lyndsey Weber, fifth grade teacher at Woodland, described the data from the Illinois Report Card. She noted the differences between the general student population and students with disabilities, which includes students with individualized education plans (IEP) or 504 plans. The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) also measures the percentage of students who meet or exceed grade level standards in math and reading.
“Woodland’s ranking with this demographic group [students with disabilities], when compared with other schools statewide, was the primary reason for Woodland to be identified as a targeted school,” Weber explained. “But you can see there are other areas that apply to all students where growth would be beneficial."
Weber said the Woodland School Improvement Team conducted a needs assessment, which led to the creation of the Woodland School Improvement Plan. The improvement plan aims to increase the IAR scores in English Language Arts and Math by implementing professional learning and team collaboration, as well as individually adaptive support for students.
“Our priorities are high-quality instruction and differentiation for all students and increased collaboration among disciplines,” Weber said. “Differentiation means tailoring instruction to meet individual needs. Whether teachers differentiate content, process, products or the learning environment, the use of ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a successful approach to instruction.”
Woodland also aimed to have 90% of students attending school 90% of the time; in the 2023–2024 school year, they ended the year with a percentage of 93.3% students attending school 90% of the time. Weber said they will continue to monitor attendance with the hopes of keeping this number high.
Williams added that the school will prioritize participation from families with a block party on Sept. 13, 2024, and outreach sessions. He noted that in a post-COVID world, it’s important to him to bring families into the schools.
Board of Education member Bob Paty asked what number would remove Woodland from the targeted list. Superintendent Dr. Patrick Shelton explained that the scores are comparative, and it takes three years to be removed from the targeted list. Paty also asked about how the staff is being supported.
Weber explained that there will be increased collaboration between the general and special education classrooms, and students in the special education classrooms will be exposed to grade-level materials. These students will also learn how to take the IAR test so that they are prepared for the test.
“This is a work in progress, and as we move through this school year with the plan, I think it’s going to be very evident that we’re going to see things that are really working and some things that maybe don’t have the effect that we expect them to have,” Williams added. “So it’s nice to know that through that process, we’re working closely with Dr. Shelton, and we can certainly communicate those kinds of things and hopefully have that support.”
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