Pictured is District 88 Superintendent Dr. Scott Helton.
At District 88, our mission is to work for the continuous improvement of student achievement.
Each and every day, District 88 works to build positive futures for its students inside the classroom and beyond. The results of the 2019 Illinois School Report Card, which were released by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) on Oct. 30, show the successes of District 88 and reflect the efforts of staff, Board of Education members, students, parents/guardians and community members. These results are just one tool the district uses to continue improving.
This is the second year the report card incorporates the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which was passed in 2015 as a new education law that reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the U.S. national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students. The previous version of the law was the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, which was enacted in 2002.
DISTRICT 88 2019 ILLINOIS SCHOOL REPORT CARD HIGHLIGHTS
ESSA designation: The ESSA uses multiple measures (referred to as indicators) to evaluate schools. Each individual school (rather than the overall district) is rated on those indicators and then placed into one of four categories (referred to as designations). Those designations are:
We are proud to share Addison Trail and Willowbrook are rated as “Commendable Schools,” and we look forward to continuing to improve. For the 2019 Illinois School Report Card, the following indicators were used to evaluate high schools.
Graduation rate: District 88’s 4-year, 5-year and 6-year graduation rates remain above the state level. For 2019, our 4-year graduation rate is 88 percent (compared to the state’s 86 percent), our 5-year graduation rate is 90 percent (compared to the state’s 88 percent) and our 6-year graduation rate is 91 percent (compared to the state’s 88 percent).
9th Grade on Track: District 88 also remains above the state level in terms of the number of grade 9 students who are on track to graduate from high school, and we have been above the state level since this measure was implemented. For 2019, 87.2 percent of our grade 9 students are on track (compared to the state’s 86.6 percent).
Postsecondary enrollment: District 88 was near the state level with regard to the number of students who are enrolled in college 12 months and 16 months after graduating from high school. The 2019 report card reflects data from the class of 2017, and 71 percent of District 88 students from that class were enrolled in college 12 months after graduating, and 72 percent were enrolled after 16 months.
Advanced Placement, dual-credit, career certifications and extracurricular involvement:
SAT exam:
Chronic absenteeism: We know the importance of having students in school to ensure they are successful inside the classroom and beyond. Students who have 10 percent or more of excused and unexcused absences in the prior academic year are considered to have “chronic absenteeism.” For 2019, 75 percent of District 88 students didn’t fall into this category (meaning they were not chronically absent), and we appreciate the dedication and commitment of our pupils and their parents/guardians to ensure they attend school.
Finances: The Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) law enacted in August 2017 comprehensively changes the way Illinois school districts receive the bulk of state funds. The formula seeks to increase the adequacy of school funding to provide a safe, rigorous and well-rounded learning environment for all students, as well as improve the equity of distribution of state funding. Each district is placed in a “tier,” which indicates access to additional funding over the basic minimum state allocation, a hold harmless amount that guaranteed no districts were “losers” under the new formula. Tier 1 and Tier 2 districts receive 99 percent of additional funds appropriated for this purpose by the General Assembly. For fiscal year 2018, District 88 was assigned to Tier 2. The district’s Adequacy Target (the minimum amount required to provide a high-quality education) was $56,812,022, and its EBF local resources were $48,939,582. We provide a comprehensive educational experience to develop the whole student. In the 2019 Niche Rankings, we were ranked as the second-most diverse school district in Illinois, and we embrace the diversity of our student body and communities as a strength for our schools. We have about 40 languages and more than 30 countries represented among our families, and almost half of the nearly 4,000 students at District 88 speak a language other than English at home. Nearly 14 percent of the students at Willowbrook have an individualized education program (IEP), and nearly 54 percent of the students at Addison Trail are low income. We continue to focus on meeting the needs of all students, and we allocate funding and resources at each building to support and serve our students. We look forward to working with our district/school leaders and community to make sure we remain fiscally responsible and spend in a manner that provides equitable opportunities for all District 88 students.
To see the complete Illinois School Report Cards for District 88 and its two high schools (Addison Trail and Willowbrook), go to www.illinoisreportcard.com.
Our focus will remain on developing the whole student and providing a comprehensive educational experience to grow each individual. Thank you for your support of District 88.
Respectfully,
Scott J. Helton, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools, DuPage High School District 88