Curriculum committee recommends Teachers Curriculum Institute for middle-school social studies, sets magnet lottery timeline

Mr. Olivas, chair of the Curriculum & Programs committee, reported the panel’s findings from its Feb. 17 meeting and previewed items for a March 16 decision meeting.

Olivas reviewed school improvement presentations from Fred Rogers Magnet Academy and Simmons Middle School, citing MAP and Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) results and school climate metrics. He said the district’s current enrollment stands at 11,727 students with average daily attendance of about 89.23 percent.

The committee recommended the Teachers Curriculum Institute (TCI) social-studies curriculum for grades 6–8. Olivas said the recommended program offers stronger alignment to Illinois standards, more inquiry-based instruction, clearer visuals and interactive tools; the committee was told the cost for the recommended curriculum was presented to be approximately $278,471.60 spread over six years and that a formal vote will occur at the March 16 curriculum meeting.

Olivas also outlined the 2026 magnet application and lottery timeline: applications opened Feb. 26, the deadline is March 25, the lottery will be held online on April 23, families will be notified on May 1 and acceptance deadlines are May 14. He said Johnson magnet third grade has 100 open seats and Fred Rogers sixth grade has 14 open seats.

Summer-school programming is scheduled for June 8–July 2 (Monday–Thursday) with a focus on literacy, math, social-emotional learning, enrichment and credit recovery; host sites listed included Dietrich, Hermes, Gonzales Health Center, Calvert Middle School, the Extension Campus and East Aurora High School.

Next steps: the curriculum committee will take a formal vote on the TCI recommendation on March 16 and administration will return with a proposal to establish a parent advisory committee tied to behavioral intervention oversight.