Jane Addams Junior High

 

School Information

School Name: Jane Addams Junior High  
School Address: 700 Springinsguth Road, Schaumburg, IL 60193
School Phone: 847.357.5900
School Fax: 847.357.5901
Principal: Steve Pearce        
Principal email: StevePearce@sd54.org

 

Demographics

Number of Students: 730
Number Eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch: 110
Percent of Limited English Proficient: 4%
Percent of Special Education: 14%
Racial/Ethnic Percentages:

• White: 54.5%
• Black: 8.5%
• Hispanic: 17.5%
• Asian/Pacific Island: 15%
• Other: 4.5%

Percentage of students passing: Addams/District/State

Grade 7	2007	2008	2009
Reading	82/86/73	88/88/78	91/86/77
Math	86/90/79	90/92/80	96/94/83

 

Grade 8	2007	2008	2009
Reading	82/86/73	87/91/81	91/90/84
Math	91/92/81	88/91/80	94/92/82

 

All Grades and All Areas	2007	2008	2009
	87/90/79	88/89/79	92/90/80

Please comment on any aspect of the data that you feel is particularly significant.

The Schaumburg School District 54 School Board has set a board goal for all schools to be “90/90” schools.  This means that 90% of the students at each school are meeting/exceeding state standards in both mathematics and reading as measured by the state assessment.  Since this became a board goal, Jane Addams has not been able to meet this goal.  In fact, Jane Addams has been the lowest performing of the five District 54 schools the past three years.  During the 2008-09 school year, Jane Addams made the “90/90” goal for the first time ever.  In addition to this great accomplishment, Jane Addams established itself as the highest performing junior high in District 54 in reading and was the second highest performing junior high in math.  This “tipping point” year happened due to the hard work and PLC commitment of the entire staff at Jane Addams.   

Please present additional information that indicates your efforts to build a professional learning community have had a positive impact on students and/or teachers.

The staff at Jane Addams Junior High began their PLC journey in 2005.  The implementation of the “Three Big Ideas” of a PLC was not consistent amongst the entire staff.  This changed during the late summer and early fall of 2008.  The staff began the year focused on “The 4 P’s”:  Purpose, Perception, PBIS, and PLC.  At the heart of “The 4 P’s” is the PLC belief system and process.  In order to ensure that the entire staff was on the same page, Jane Addams spent significant time building their learning capacity.  Many hours of staff development sessions were devoted to time called PLC 101.  During the early fall staff development meetings, the principal led the staff in several sessions of professional education on the basics of being a Professional Learning Community.  This galvanized the beliefs of the staff and allowed for significant dialogue to occur between staff members.  For the first time, the entire Jane Addams staff was all on the same page and moving forward as a PLC.  The 2008-09 school year was characterized by unprecedented collective staff focus, student intervention, and student support.  When the state scores were announced late in the school year, the Jane Addams staff was both humbled and validated.  Despite the accomplishment of having the highest student achievement in school history, Jane Addams is continuing to grow by modifying their schedule to get more access to students during the school day and by developing more focused and streamlined systems of intervention.  The school goal for the 2009-2010 school year is to be the first “95/95” junior high in District 54.

Please elaborate upon strategies you have found to be effective in any of the following areas:

1. Monitoring student learning on a timely basis.

All students at Jane Addams Junior High are given the MAP test three times per year.  This data is used to place students in appropriate math and reading intervention courses.  The data is also used by teachers to place students in guided groups for targeted instruction.

Additionally, each department gives two to three common assessments per trimester.  Teachers use the results of these common assessments to provide more time and support for students who don’t make the agreed upon proficiency level (typically 80%). 

2. Creating systems of intervention to provide students with additional time and support for learning.

There are multiple intervention tracks that a student may take at Jane Addams Junior High.   Based upon MAP reading results, students can receive an additional 40 minutes of reading at their instructional level.  MAP math results can also place a student in a math class that provides 20 extra minutes of time and support.

If a student receives below 80% in one of their departmental common assessments, the student will receive some form of intervention and/or re-teaching along with re-assessment to ensure proficiency in the skill area assessed.  At Jane Addams Junior High, this is emphasized in the areas of language arts, math, science, social studies, and physical education.  The time used to do this looks differently in each curricular area.  It may happen during guided groups during the class period, it may happen at lunch, or it may happen after school.

Another area of intervention at Jane Addams focuses on homework.  If a student has two or more missing assignments from two or more academic classes, they qualify for Guided Study Hall (GSH).  Students are required to meet with a teacher during their lunch and study hall time until their homework is completed.  If a student is still struggling after two weeks of GSH, they get introduced to our after school support interventions.  This includes Crusader Club (CC) on Mondays, Math Center (MC) on Tuesdays, and Open Library (OL) on Thursdays.  These learning opportunities can be either directed or optional for students, depending on their academic standing.  If a child is still behind or having significant academic issues after two weeks of CC, MC, and OL, then the student can be entered into General Support Intervention (GSI).  GSI provides a student a full 40 minute period of academic support with a certified teacher in lieu of an elective. 

3. Building teacher capacity to work as members of high performing collaborative teams that focus efforts on improved learning for all students.

Academic departments meet twice per week during the school day.  Interdisciplinary teams meet once per week during staff development time.  Each department and team is required to develop norms.  Additionally, each department is responsible to have a SMART goal.  Department team performance is monitored by the four department chairs that report to and meet regularly with the principal.  Department time is spent re-fining common assessments, reviewing common assessment data, discussing re-teaching and intervention plans, and collaboratively developing curriculum based upon student performance. 

Rewards and Recognition

Recognized as a “90/90” school by the Schaumburg District 54 School Board.