D94 expands academic supports and professional learning after third week of school

Community High School District 94 leaders on the Committee of the Whole meeting reported this week on professional development efforts and expanded academic-support services as the district reached the end of its third week of school. Superintendent-level and instructional staff described recent professional learning community (PLC) sessions, open-house attendance and new supports for juniors, seniors and Advanced Placement students.

District administrators said four PLC professional development sessions have taken place, including presentations led by PLC consultant Jack Alderman and by division and director-level staff. The sessions emphasized “collective team efficacy,” focusing on a staff mindset that supports student learning and on “leading from every seat,” administrators said. “He challenged Wildcats to build a mindset of compassion, collective team efficacy, a championship vision, and then leading from every seat,” a district presenter said.

Why it matters: district leaders said the PLC work is intended to link the strategic plan to classroom practice and to improve instruction across grades, goals they tied to observed professional development and parent engagement at open house.

Administration described increased academic-support offerings under the district’s multi-year student support initiative. The expansion added content-area teachers (business, driver’s education simulator access, ESL and world languages) to the pool of staff providing support, bringing the total number of available teachers for targeted academic help to 10, the presentation said. The district also introduced a “core den” for juniors and seniors identified as most in need; those students receive two hours across four days of access to core teachers in English, math, social studies and science. Finally, the district said it added AP academic support for 10 AP courses and reported that staff had begun meeting with AP students.

On grading: administrators reported a presentation (offered in English and Spanish) to families explaining four changes to grading practices this year and previewing additions to academic support. The presenter said the intent was to provide rationale and to increase transparency for families.

Implementation details and next steps: all-staff large-group sessions and smaller PLC meetings were scheduled for mid-September and later in the month, district leaders said. Administrators said they will continue to report progress to the board.

Speakers quoted in this report are members of the district leadership team and staff who presented the update to the board; quotes are taken from their remarks during the teaching, learning and professional development report.