Superintendent Dr. Nanciann Gatta delivered her annual District 219 Financial Address on Tuesday, March 10. In her presentation, she outlined six overarching goals that the district aims to cover from now through June 2019. The goals are as follows:

1. CHALLENGE

Ambitious, culturally relevant instruction paired with teacher collaboration and effective leadership is the way to grow students’ learning beyond their expected academic trajectory. This will be measured by ACT scores being inclusive of the local growth model, as well as AP enrollment reflecting our student demographics.

Last year alone, the number of students enrolled in AP courses significantly increased, and the number of students of color who took the classes saw an even bigger increase. On the AP exams last year, more students than ever scored a three or higher, and D219 was recognized by the CollegeBoard as one of 547 districts nationwide to make the honor roll.

“I want to close the opportunity gap and be a gateway, not a gatekeeper,” Gatta said.

2. ARTICULATE

A framework for K-14 programming that leads to high school and college readiness is already underway, and the district hopes to expand it even further by aligning the feeder schools’ curriculum and rigor with ours. Programs such as Project Lead the Way (PLTW), Classrooms 1st, and Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science (GEMS) have proved the district’s investment in mathematics a success. Bringing math and engineering classes all the way down to kindergarten, students have been in positions to take the highest level classes offered at D219 schools since fifth grade. The percentage of incoming freshmen taking geometry, on track to take calculus their senior year, increased from 12% to 69%.

The district is also talking about partnering with Oakton Community College to bring some of their courses to Niles North and Niles West, making them available for students to take while still in high school. 33% of the district’s students end up going to Oakton, and 70% of them aren’t considered college ready. Bringing the classes to high school would close that college readiness gap. Also, classes at summer school this year won’t just be remedial classes, but there will be classes offered as preparations for honors and AP courses as well.

3. ENGAGE

The district wants to see an increase in digital literacy, measured by digital literacy scores, and to teach using 21st century digital tools and applied/partnership opportunities.

4. SUPPORT

Perhaps one of the biggest goals is to involve families and provide individualized interventions to raise healthy students in a safe, culturally inclusive environment. D219 is known as the “We Are One Township”, and they want to expand experiences at Niles North, West, and Central to the whole community.

“Learning doesn’t stop at the edge of our school,” Gatta said. “We need these partnerships with the community to educate and nurture our students as well.”

As of now, $5.7 million a year goes toward the community for things like Coming Together in Skokie, after school programs that use our facilities, the park districts, the ELL Parent Center, and the Fourth of July parade. There is also talk of partnering with local businesses to offer internships to students.

5. INVOLVE

D219 also wants to see an increase of students participating in an extra-curricular activity. Students will be connected with adults and their school through increased participation, so it’s important that the district remain in a stable financial state so that programs aren’t cut. Many high schools throughout the nations have had to cut extra-curriculars like fine arts, certain sports, and even library programs.

Right now, there are only six students enrolled in the AP music theory course, but the district hopes to have enough funds to keep it going because they recognize how important involvement in extra-curriculars that students love is to them.

6. BUILD

Lastly, Niles North, West, and Central high schools hope to improve the physical learning environments of the buildings using fiscally responsible and sustainable practices. D219 recently froze tax rates, so a new challenge arising is the one of diverting more dollars to the classroom without collecting as much as in the past from taxpayers.

Starting in the 2015-2016 school year, the district will be using the $1.3 million grant they received to implement health clinics instead of the nurse’s office, allowing for more comprehensive health care.

IN CONCLUSION

The district is transparent – they know that they make mistakes and they can’t do everything right, but the goals they have in mind work for everybody. Ready for college is ready for life, every student has the right to be educated, every student has the ability to succeed, and public schools are America’s great hope.

“I will continue to work every day to make every student’s dream a reality,” Gatta said. “We have great success and great challenges ahead of us, but I believe in my heart and soul that every child can reach whatever it is they want to reach if they have the resources.”