U-46 unveils new rules to assess literacy

New literacy assessment guidelines for kindergarten through second grade were outlined Monday night for the Elgin Area School District U-46 school board.

The guidelines, which took a committee of 35 a year and a half to develop, were described as a "decision tree" by Hilltop Elementary principal Lynn Glaser and Liberty Elementary teacher Marcia Kellenberger.

"We're aiming to build a stronger relationship of what is expected from grade to grade," Glaser said.

Second-grade measures of academic progress will attempt to predict how students will perform on the Illinois State Learning Standard tests in third grade.

To help with student fluidity, district-wide data stored in a "centrally located" data warehouse will be more accessible than the current system, she said.

Some of the most important literacy, learning and developmental outcomes were also identified. They include letter identification, writing vocabulary, letter sounds, concepts of print, oral fluency and spelling.

Instead of taking up to 12 tests a year, U-46 data consultant Ed DeYoung said, the new system will test students as little as possible -- about four to five times each year.

"To narrow down those tests, we first need evidence, locally, which tests make a difference," he said.

About 25 schools chose to participate in adopting some of the guidelines early, DeYoung said.

The guidelines will be adopted by all district elementary schools in April or May, he said.