District defends grant‑funded Blue Streak after‑school pilot as board questions use of outside consultants

Cook County School District 130 officials told the school board on Nov. 4 they plan to pilot Blue Streak, an after‑school math program for grades 2–8, using state after‑school grant funding and two professional‑development sessions funded through a $25,000 Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) grant.

"We have just over 200 students right now who are invited to the program, fully funded from our after‑school grant program from the state," Stephanie Del Rosa, assistant superintendent for curriculum instruction, said. The district expects the pilot to begin Dec. 2 and estimates a consumable cost of about $12 per participating student, with teachers receiving a launch workshop and a midyear virtual follow‑up.

Board members pressed for specifics about how Blue Streak would differ from subscriptions the district already uses. "We already have IReady, MyPath and Khan Academy. What can this Blue Streak do differently that those three we already have don't or can't?" one board member asked.

Del Rosa said Blue Streak is designed as a turnkey, highly engaging small‑group intervention with a quick adaptive assessment that places students at appropriate levels and supplies ready‑to‑use lesson plans and small‑group materials. "It's turnkey. There's a very quick assessment that is adaptive. It places students into the correct level," she said, adding the program could be integrated into summer school if the after‑school trial proves successful.

District staff also described plans for vendor‑provided consulting to support classroom implementation. Del Rosa said the ISBE grant approval of $25,000 (approved Oct. 22) would cover consulting and related professional‑development costs. Curriculum staff said consultants work closely with regional offices and bring specialized expertise the district cannot staff internally.

"I work directly with them to help roll it out in a way that I just am not able to in my role," said Terry Campos, the district's curriculum coordinator for ELA and social studies, describing coordination between in‑house staff and outside consultants.

Some board members expressed concern that hiring external consultants could undercut district curriculum coordinators' roles. One member said the district should ensure coordinators continue to have meaningful leadership and not be sidelined by contractors.

Separately, the board voted to pull two consent‑agenda items (items g and h) for further public discussion after a motion to remove them was made and seconded; the board recorded affirmative votes and those items will be debated in open session.

Next steps include the planned Dec. 2 start of the after‑school pilot, the initial professional‑development session for staff, and requests from board members for periodic updates on student participation and learning outcomes.

The board meeting included general staff recognitions and other routine business; the Blue Streak pilot and consultant use were the primary substantive items debated on the agenda.