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Health & Fitness

District 113 Determines Areas of Emphasis for New School Year

District 113 Determines Areas of Emphasis for the 2011-2012 School Year

The Board of Education of Township High School District 113 accepted
the goals submitted by Dr. George Fornero at their meeting on Monday, August
22. The goals outline the primary work for the 2011-2012 school year.

Topics include issues such as educational achievement objectives, finance priorities,
community engagement, and facility/technology long-range planning. 

Teachers and staff members came back to school feeling excited that
the educational emphasis of the year will allow them to go deeper in terms of
past goals and curricular objectives. Primary goals seek to ensure that
students feel connected to school, are actively engaged as learners, and
perform successfully on the defined course targets.

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The summer professional development work offered by District 113 administrators prepared teachers and their course teams to deliver instruction that fosters engagement and achievement for all students, a key goal for the district.

Recently, the district received an ACT report indicating that student
scores had reached an all-time high. The ACT scores for the DHS and HPHS
graduating classes of 2011 were at their highest in every discipline tested.
According to Sue Hebson, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, the
achievement initiatives will push the students and staff to continue to excel.

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Dr. Hebson stated, “What is in the works is clearly working. To know that our scores have always been one of the highest in the state and that they
continue to get better is tremendously motivating. Our students benefit from
the professional commitment of our teachers and staff. We had over 200 staff
members participate in summer professional development; clearly our staff is
dedicated to their own learning.”

Superintendent George Fornero praised the past efforts of District 113
employees and urged them to do more when he addressed the group at the opening day meeting on August 23, 2011. Fornero stated, “Our scores are excellent and yet we know that we must continue to reach out to the students who struggle and are not as engaged in their learning.”

Both schools welcome this challenge as their staff is devoted to
student growth and belonging. In their presentations, Mr. Brad Swanson (HPHS
principal) and Ms. Audris Griffith (DHS principal) set school goals related to
developing strong relationships with students so that they want to come to
school and do their best. In their opening speeches, they discussed ways that
they will support instructional innovation and foster the development of
positive school cultures. Furthermore, they noted that course teams will
analyze achievement data in an ongoing way to ensure that all students are
progressing and learning. School opens today for both Deerfield and Highland
Park High Schools.

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