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Northlake students and staff showcase ‘house’ system as district presenters point to big gains in attendance and reading
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Summary
Northlake Middle School staff and students presented their house-based SEL program and student work to the Berkeley SD 87 board, and presenters cited Panorama survey gains in belonging and teacher-student relationships and notable increases in winter assessment proficiency and reduced chronic absenteeism.
Northlake Middle School staff and students presented their house-based social-emotional learning program and student work to the Berkeley SD 87 Board of Education, and administrators pointed to survey and test-score gains they said show the model is improving belonging and achievement.
Julie Aronson, a seventh-grade science teacher from Northlake, described the school’s house system that mixes students across grades into small “den” groups to build relationships and leadership. Aronson said the houses support monthly competitions and community-building activities and showed examples of student projects and a short video of house events. “House system is a way for schools of organizing students into smaller mixed-grade groups called houses,” Aronson said, describing the program’s routines and intended outcomes.
A school presenter unpacked recent Panorama survey results and benchmark data, saying students reported an 11-point increase in teacher-student relationships and a 10-point increase in sense of belonging compared with prior surveys. The presenter also said teachers reported a 25-point increase in school climate measures and that winter benchmark and assessment data show notable academic gains: presenters cited district and school figures showing ELA proficiency rising sharply year over year (administrators cited a jump from about 12.8% proficiency to 35.9% and reported a building-level figure near 46.5% as of Feb. 20).
Principal Dr. Milton told the board the school has worked deliberately on attendance and community supports and highlighted reductions in chronic absenteeism. According to the presentation, chronic absenteeism (students missing 18 days or more) decreased from roughly one-third of students to about 16% in a recent year and staff projected a continued drop to the low teens. “Kids are coming to school because they like it,” the principal said.
Students also spoke during the presentation. Michael, a seventh grader, told the board he was invited to a celebration after earning “exceeds” on multiple Illinois assessment measures: “I earned exceeds in both reading and math,” he said. Other students described new clubs and activities such as a bowling team and an art club that the school credited with increasing student engagement.
Board members thanked Northlake staff, students and families for the presentation. Several members praised the turnout and community engagement and encouraged continuation of the practices highlighted by presenters. The district administration said the initiatives are tied to school improvement goals and noted plans to continue supporting professional learning and student programs.
The presentation concluded with an invitation to the board to accept a student-made flag commemorating the house system; the board thanked attendees and moved on to other agenda business.
