Plan unveiled to boost Dundee-Crown scores

Community Unit School District 300 officials got their first look at a restructuring plan Monday aimed at improving reading and math scores at Dundee-Crown High School.

The Carpentersville high school is required to submit a restructuring plan for the 2008-2009 school year since previous strategies have not resulted in sufficient student gains in achievement since 2002.

"We are not making enough progress," said Dundee-Crown High School Principal Lynn McCarthy.

The proposed four-pronged model focuses on governance, enhanced night and summer school classes, a freshman academy and support coaches.

The governance component, according to a proposal submitted to the board, is central to the plan's success as it will "provide oversight and support to the fidelity of the plan's implementation and ongoing evaluation."

Meanwhile, night and summer school classes will allow both high-performing and struggling students to improve.

"A key that we want to stress is that this is not just for students who are not achieving," McCarthy said. "It is for all students."

The night classes would help students who have dropped out of high school. Dundee-Crown has a drop-out rate of 14 percent, McCarthy said.

"For some reason, some students do not fit the traditional model of school," McCarthy said. "They have opted out and we need to bring them back."

In addition, summer classes would let high-achieving students get ahead by taking required classes, making room for any electives during the regular school year.

The freshman academy would help middle school students entering high school make a smooth transition.

"Many students get lost in the shuffle," McCarthy said during her presentation. "This will help them build relationships with the staff and their peers."

McCarthy said three counselors would work exclusively with freshman on areas such as preparation for standardized testing, tutoring and goal-setting for their high school career.

Lastly, the curriculum, instruction and assessment part of the plan would focus on the long-term improvement of student performance.

Support coaches will work side-by-side with teachers in the areas of math, curriculum and lesson development, offering feedback on student engagement strategies and assessment practices.

McCarthy said a similar strategy has been successfully implemented at Carpentersville Middle School.

The total cost of the restructuring proposal is $225,700. The plan is pending school board approval, as well as approval from the Illinois Board of Education.