Emerson Elementary outlines math, literacy goals and early-year strategies

Emerson Elementary school leaders presented their school-improvement plan to the Berwyn South School District 100 board, detailing math and literacy goals, instructional strategies, and early signs of student progress. Principal Jean Suki introduced the school improvement team and said the school's math goal is for 40 percent of third- through fifth-grade students to meet or exceed standards on Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) indicators focused on number operations and algebraic thinking. For literacy, the school aims for 45 percent of students to meet or exceed on the IAR. Teachers and coaches described classroom strategies to reach those targets: continued emphasis on discourse using the Kagan "talking chips" strategy, implementation of CER (claim, evidence, reasoning) across content areas, use of Frayer model vocabulary instruction, and formative and summative assessments aligned to item rubrics. Staff said dual-language K'2 classrooms will assess students in the language of instruction (Spanish) for grades K'2 and that teachers will use formative data during PLCs to determine next instructional steps. Andrea Samayoa, literacy coach, told the board that professional development has included CER training for general and special teachers, and that the school will bring actual student work into PLCs to anchor conversations in classroom evidence. Assistant principal Maria Escobedo and math co-leaders Jen Ortiz and Heidi Correa described plans to use modeling, formative checks, and the CER framework to push students toward more developed extended responses in math. The board and audience also saw that Emerson had a well-attended back-to-school kickoff and that new staff and a recently installed HVAC system were factors in a positive start to the year. The board recognized Andrea Samayoa and Ms. Flores (staff member) for creating a student leadership club grounded in district graduate profile qualities and for supporting events such as STEAM night and a kindergarten iPad deployment. No formal action was required; the presentation was provided as part of the superintendent's report and will inform the district's ongoing monitoring of school improvement progress.