It has been quite the winter for us here at CUSD 4 schools. We have had more school cancellations this past couple of months than I have experienced in many years. That is weather in Illinois...and it may not be over. We will always base our decisions on the safety of students and staff. 

This is a reminder we have had the 5Essential Survey open and available for the last two months for parents, students & staff. If you have not had the opportunity to complete the survey please take a few minutes and do so. The survey will be available until Feb. 15th, 2019. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school.
 
On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. These five indicators that affect and predict school success are:
 

• Effective Leaders
• Collaborative Teachers
• Involved Families
• Supportive Environments
• Ambitious Instruction

 
Prior research in more than 400 schools has shown that schools that were strong on at least three of these “5Essential” indicators were 10 times more likely to improve student learning gains in math and reading than those that were weak on three or more Essentials.
 
All teachers and 4th through 12th grade students will be responding to this survey. 5Essentials Reports will be generated for schools if their teachers and/or students meet the response rate threshold of 50 percent. These reports will be sent to schools and districts in March 2019 and will also be included in the State School Report Card.
 
Additionally, your district has chosen to provide the optional Parent Supplement survey. If at least 20 percent of CUSD 4 parents complete this survey, a parent supplement report will also be generated. The parent data will not be reported on the State Report Card.
 
Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child. 

To take the survey please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate survey to begin.

This is one measure we use at CUSD 4 for our school improvement. Thank you for taking the time to respond to this survey.