Quincy Public School District #172

NEWS & EVENTS

3-17-05
The Board approved the school calendar for next year. Some of the significant changes include waiving the Columbus Day Holiday on October 10 and ending first semester prior to winter break. Parent/teacher conferences will be held the last week of October instead of early November as in the past. The calendar includes five emergency days. (2005-2006 Calendar)

3-17-05
The Board approved the appointment of three K-3 principals effective for 2005-2006:
Matt Runge - Washington School. Matt is currently an elementary principal in Mendon.
Kelle Bunch - Madison School. Kelle is currently the principal of St. Boniface School in Quincy.
Jill Reis - Berrian School. Jill is a third grade teacher at Berrian.Dennis Peters has been named the new Director of Maintenance for the District effective July 1, 2005. Dennis is currently custodian at Ellington School.

3-17-05

INTERNAL REVIEW -DISTRICT AND SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANS

Assistant Superintendent Carol Mickle presented information on District and School Improvement Plans. The Illinois State Board of Education requires that an Internal Review take place in all Illinois schools each year. A school Internal Review Team (School Improvement Team) consists of educators and parents and must review the following area: 1) teaching and learning, 2) student learning; analysis of progress and achievement, and 3) method(s) to link with the wider community.

From the above review, a School Improvement Plan is developed for each school. The plan is based on trend data. The desired outcome of the process is improved student learning. Each school’s plan contains goals and activities which are being implemented to improve learning. Due to the Academic Early Warning status of Junior and Senior High School, their School Improvement Teams will continue to revise their plans using the ISBE requirements.

A District Learning Improvement Plan is developed by combining the goals and suggestions for improvements from the Board of Education Curriculum Committee, staff, principals, and parents through their School Improvement Plans, the Assistant Superintendent, and other stakeholders. The District Plan is aligned with Board of Education goals.

Annual reports of the district ISAT and PSAE results and the School and District Improvement Plans are presented to the Board of Education. Any assistance needed in understanding and interpreting results is provided. Members of the media are in attendance when the above reports are presented to the Board.

Principals inform parents and staff about the school’s improvement plan in one or more ways: newsletter, copy of the plan, presentation at a meeting, parent letter, executive summary of the plan, summary page in the Illinois School Report Card, etc. Any assistance needed in understanding and interpreting results is provided.

Carol thanked teachers, principals, support staff, other administrators, and parents for their hard work and success in having an increase in 2004 in the percentage of Quincy students who met state standards and accomplishing other academic successes. Having a greater percentage of students meet the state academic standards in a school is the outcome of an effective School and District Improvement Plan.