Western Avenue, Parker Present School Improvement Plans Targeting Safety and Academic Proficiency

Leaders from Western Avenue Elementary and Parker Junior High presented school improvement plans to the Flossmoor School District 161 Board of Education on June 21, outlining targets for school safety and academic proficiency and the actions they will take to reach those goals.

Western Avenue Principal Mario Ford said the school's plan centers on improving culture and climate from "weak to neutral" on the 5Essentials safety indicator by embedding Capturing Kids' Hearts (CKH) strategies and restorative practices across classrooms and common areas. "The goal is safety," Ford said. "All these things reflect back on safety and how can we create a safe environment." The Western Avenue plan also sets academic targets for IAR proficiency, with an ELA target (from 53% to 63%) and a math target (from 41% to 51%) for 2025–26, to be measured by the Illinois Assessment of Readiness.

Western Avenue staff emphasized consistent instructional blocks, common proficiency scales, regular "data talks" with students and parents, teacher professional development and peer observation as primary levers to reach goals.

Parker Junior High Principal Ursula Paris presented Parker's plan, which sets targets to raise IAR meeting/exceeding proficiency in ELA from 51% to 60% and in math from 21% to 29%. Parker also reported gains in eighth‑grade science (from an earlier baseline to 61% meeting proficiency) and set a science goal to increase that rate to 65%. Two eighth‑grade science teachers described instructional changes that contributed to last year's gains, particularly increased practice with claim‑evidence‑reasoning and more opportunities for students to analyze data during labs. One teacher summarized the importance of exposing students to data analysis: "One of our most important things that we see in the eighth grade is that when we give them labs or any assignment that may have a data set or a group of numbers, at the beginning of the year, they often struggle with that."

Board members asked about measurement timelines and safeguards if quarterly safety surveys show little or no improvement; Western Avenue leaders said they currently had no fully formed "backup plan" but would use quarterly survey data to inform subsequent interventions. Board members also asked about replicating effective eighth‑grade practices across other grades and schools; principals said upcoming institute days and professional learning communities will provide time for teacher collaboration and sharing of proven strategies.

Both schools flagged a need for ongoing parent communication about standards‑based grading and student data talks so families understand proficiency scales and can support students' growth.

These plans were presented for discussion; no board vote was required at the meeting. Staff said they will continue to refine the plans, implement the targeted professional development during institute days, and present subsequent schools' plans at future meetings.