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Lyons Township High School adopts improvement goals
Updated: March 8, 2013 6:12AM
LA GRANGE — Among Lyons Township High School District 204’s adopted goals for 2013-15 is to “create a climate where students are encouraged to enroll in at least one AP class prior to graduation.”
District targets for the Class of 2017 include:
• 60 percent of students taking at least one AP class prior to graduation.
• 50 percent taking at least one AP exam.
• 45 percent scoring a ‘3’ or higher on at least one AP exam.
District officials have expressed concern as the number of students taking AP classes and exams has dipped.
The AP efforts are part of the district goal to improve the academic achievement of all students. A component of that goal is to increase student performance on national standardized assessments by reviewing and aligning curriculum with Common Core State Standards by fall 2015.
Besides the AP classes and tests, other steps to reaching that component are:
• Improving standardized test scores (ACT, AP).
• Increasing the ACT composite average.
• Ensure prep level courses prepare students for college and career readiness.
• Develop an integration plan for the Common Core State Standards so standards can be fully implemented by fall 2015 in preparation for the first year of testing in 2016.
“We want to enhance and update learning tools,” Superintendent Timothy Kilrea said.
He said the adopted goals will map the district’s efforts for the next three years.
Besides improving the academic achievement of all students, the other main goals for district are:
• Maintain a safe school climate that is conducive to learning.
• Improve communication with all district stakeholders.
• Maintain a healthy financial position.
“As for maintaining a safe school climate, we will focus on ensuring that we will not tolerate bullying of any person in any way,” Kilrea said.
Kilrea said working with mental health professionals to ensure district personnel are aware of the early warning signs of a troubled individual is another safety step being taken.
“In financial planning, the goal is to remain solid,” Kilrea said.
The superintendent said that with such uncertainty in Springfield about what financial responsibilities for education may be shifted from the state to local districts, it is key that District 204 have fiscal flexibility.
“A tremendous amount of effort went into establishing these goals,” said board member Heather Alderman.
