DPS #170 Background

February 3, 2021

 

Dear Parent,

 Beginning February 3, students, parents, and teachers across Illinois will have an opportunity to participate in the ninth annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school.

 On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. These five indicators that affect and predict school success are:

  • Effective Leaders
  • Collaborative Teachers
  • Involved Families
  • Supportive Environments
  • Ambitious Instruction

 Prior research in more than 400 schools has shown that schools that were strong on at least three of these “5Essential” indicators were 10 times more likely to improve student learning gains in math and reading than those that were weak on three or more Essentials.

 At a local level, the data collected will be utilized to assist in creating school and district improvement plans.  The information will be used to help determine measures of success and areas for improvement as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

 All teachers, parents, and students in 4thth through 12th grade will be responding to this survey. 5Essentials Reports will be generated for schools if their teachers and/or students meet the response rate threshold of 50 percent. These reports will be sent to schools and districts in May 2021 and will also be included in the State School Report Card.

 Additionally, all parents will have the opportunity to participate in the survey.  The District needs at least 20 percent of parents at any of our schools to complete this survey. A parent supplement report will be generated for each school that has at least 20% of parents completing a survey. The parent data will not be reported on the State Report Card.

 Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child. 

 The Illinois 5Essentials Survey for students and teachers will be conducted February 3, 2021 through April 2, 2021. The Parent Survey Supplement will be conducted during the same timeframe. To take the survey please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/  and select the appropriate survey to begin.

 For more information about the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, or to view previous years’ Reports, please visit https://www.5-essentials.org/illinois. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact 5Essentials Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or impact-surveys@uchicago.edu or your building or District administrators.

 

 Sincerely,

 Margo Empen

Superintendent