District 100 presents district-improvement plan with math, literacy targets and new assessments

District 100 education leaders on July 23 presented a district improvement plan that sets district-wide academic targets for pre-K through eighth grade and summarized assessment results from preschool through eighth grade. Assistant Superintendent B. Maldonado told the board the plan sets two results goals: by 2026, 40% of students in pre-K–8 will meet or exceed standards in math on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), and 45% will meet or exceed standards in literacy on IAR. The presentation included assessment data, subgroup breakdowns and implementation steps for curriculum resources.

Why this matters: the IAR results determine public accountability on the Illinois report card, and the district’s improvement plan ties early-grade benchmarks to the long-term IAR goals. Speakers said the plan focuses on both proficiency and growth and on aligning instruction and resources across schools.

Presenters walked the board through multiple local and vendor assessments used to set and monitor the goals. Dr. Amanda Thompson, director of early learning, described preschool and kindergarten observational data gathered with Teaching Strategies GOLD and noted “nice growth across the board,” especially in early math for preschool and strong dual-language kindergarten gains. Allison Aparicio, assistant director of special education, reviewed FastBridge benchmarks for kindergarten and first grade, saying students “show an understanding of the skills assessed,…