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Minooka CHSD 111 board reviews ACT growth, plans reading and numeracy interventions
Summary
District staff told the board that most students showed positive ACT growth in math and English but reading lagged; the district will expand ACT reading training, implement biology curriculum changes, start cross-curricular literacy work led by Dr. Jerita Stewart and create a numeracy committee led by Dr. Adams.
Presenter (identified in the meeting as the speaker who led the academic report) told the board that fall-to-spring ACT growth for 11th graders showed 55% positive growth in math, 62% in science, 70% in English and 35% in reading. The presenter also reported two-year cohort growth for current juniors of 71% in math, 65% in science, 61% in English and 52% in reading.
Why it matters: Reading growth trailed other subjects across grade levels, and district leaders tied part of the shortfall to students doing less reading outside the classroom. The board heard a set of interventions intended to raise reading comprehension and test performance before next year’s testing window.
What the district will do: The presenter said the district will increase the number of teachers trained specifically on the ACT reading test (one teacher has already completed that training), expand cross-curricular literacy instruction through a literacy committee led by Dr. Jerita Stewart, and continue class presentations tied to the district strategic plan to emphasize the importance of the ACT to juniors. For science, the district noted it has spent a year revising the biology curriculum (the change from chemistry-first to biology-first occurred two years ago) and will implement additional curriculum adjustments next year.
The board also heard a scheduling proposal for South Campus that would provide daily math and English contact for freshmen and sophomores; presenter said this structural change aims to improve growth for underperforming cohorts. In addition, the district will launch a numeracy committee next school year headed by Dr. Adams, the math department chair, to increase fluency in mathematics across courses.
Quotes and attribution: "We are working to increase the number of teachers who have gone through the ACT reading test training so they have a better understanding of what our students are needing on that reading portion," the presenter said. The presenter also noted library incentives and an app to log reading activity as part of a multifaceted approach to encourage students to read outside class.
Context and next steps: Board members asked when the curricular sequence changed; the presenter confirmed the chemistry-to-biology switch took place two years ago. The district will proceed with the planned staff trainings, curriculum implementations and schedule changes for the 2026–27 school year and report back as those initiatives are rolled out.
