June 08--Consolidated High School District 230 will introduce new tests this fall to identify students in need of extra help with reading and social and emotional skills, district officials said.
Staff committees selected two screening tools that will be introduced next year, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Kim Dryier told school board members at a recent board meeting.
One will be a survey assessing social and emotional skills that will be given to all district freshmen this fall before expanding to all grades in the following years, Dryier said.
The website for the survey, the Developmental Assets Profile, says it rates students on "assets," including positive values and identity, commitment to learning and social competencies as well as whether they have people to turn to for outside support.
Dryier said district administrators are not yet certain how the results will be used but said they could identify both students in need of assistance and areas where many students struggle, which could help the district adjust the curriculum for its advisory class period.
District 230 introduced the advisory period during the 2013-2014 school year to set aside time for social and emotional learning, extra academic support and other enrichment opportunities for students.
"We're going to look at the data and then decide how to go about using it," Dryier said.
She said the second assessment program, STAR 360, will be aimed at students who have been identified as needing extra help with reading skills. The test, which takes less than half an hour, could be administered every six to eight weeks to track student progress, she said.
In another matter, the school board has decided to keep student fees the same for the upcoming school year. Students pay a basic registration fee of $225, with extra fees for specific classes or activities.
Board member Tony Serratore said the board will examine the fee structure during the next few months because fees have stayed flat since 2007, when District 230 cut the registration fee by $25.
lzumbach@tribpub.com
