WHD SD147 students prompt upward trend in math and reading skills, data show

The West Harvey-Dixmoor School District’s curriculum, instruction, and assessment department presented an end-of-year academic progress report to the board at its meeting on June 1.

The data showed that 78 percent of pre-K students at Lincoln Early Learning Center are meeting or exceeding age-level standards. Kindergarten students prompted average grade equivalents of 1.0 and 1.125 in the Renaissance Star early literacy and math assessments respectively. These scores indicate that kindergarten students performed similarly to a typical first-grade student. 

Louisa Shannon, director of the curriculum department, warned that while there is consistent growth in reading and math skills, there are many students in the district that are over a year behind in academic growth for their grade level. 

“We have plenty of students who are also an urgent intervention who need to make more than a year’s growth in order to be able to get back to grade level [performance] before they leave,” she said.

According to math coach Misty Kucharek, students in first, fourth, sixth and seventh grades are “ahead of the game” with about a year’s worth of growth in reading skills. Math scores also showed about a year’s worth of growth in several grades. In the Spanish assessments — taken by select English learner students who are more proficient in Spanish — third grade students showed the most growth in reading by three years, and fourth grade students similarly showed the most growth in math. 

The curriculum department also presented Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) score trends in English Language Arts (ELA) and math. Shannon reported an increase in both ELA and math proficiency across all grade levels with student cohorts showing year-over-year gains.

“There were 16 [students] who were proficient in sixth grade [last year], but this year, we maintained that amount and added 10 more,” Shannon said. She attributed this growth to an amplified curriculum, explicit instruction, and small group support.

The curriculum department is already strategizing ways to continue students’ academic growth for next year, focusing on attendance, social-emotional learning, and student engagement opportunities. According to Shannon, chronic absenteeism decreases academic achievement for all students because of the time spent reviewing learning material.

“[Rosa L. Parks Middle School] had the best attendance overall and also had the most growth academically,” Shannon said. She added that the department has already started working with an attendance advocate to help minimize student absenteeism.

Newly appointed principal resigns shortly before start date

Kimberly Porter-Beamon, who was appointed the new principal of Lincoln Early Learning Center during the May board meeting, resigned from the role just one month before her start date. She was expected to leave her role as assistant principal of Kellar Middle School and officially start at Lincoln on July 1 until the board approved her resignation, effective immediately. The reason for her sudden resignation is unknown.

The school’s most recent principal Sarah Midlock had been reassigned to assistant director of the curriculum department in May. As of right now, that leaves Lincoln without a principal.

“The Board of Education remains committed to supporting a stable learning environment for students and ensuring that the district continues to attract and retain qualified professionals who are dedicated to student success,” board member Sharon McGee said to the HWH in an emailed statement.

Superintendent Kenneth Scott’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

$2.6 million interfund transfer

The board approved a motion to transfer $2.6 million from the Operations and Maintenance Fund to the Educational Fund to maintain adequate cashflow.

Janiesa Owens, the district’s chief school business official, said the board approved a motion to move $6 million from the Educational Fund into the Capital Projects Fund a couple of years ago to cover different projects around the district. However, due to a change in federal government, funding slowed down for these projects and even stopped in some areas, according to Owens. As a result, the board agreed to issue bonds to cover these projects and pull the district’s fund balance back into the Educational Fund.

“There’s a remaining balance of $2.6 million that was sitting there, and we’re asking to move that back into our ED Fund as we have received our $3 million bond,” Owens said.