Gary Elementary School in West Chicago Acknowledged for Significant Achievement Gains

Gary Elementary School in West Chicago Elementary School District 33 has been invited to present at the Fifth Annual DuPage Leadership for Excellence & Equity for All Conference on Friday, January 20, 2012.

The District 33 school will be one of four schools in DuPage County that the DuPage Regional Office of Education will spotlight due to their efforts to address the academic achievement gap among student subgroups. With the support of the Regional Office of Education, Gary Elementary School participated in a state wide school improvement initiative called Rising Star. Goals for school improvement were established by the staff at Gary School, and due to the collaborative efforts among the teachers, administration and support staff from the ROE, significant achievement gains have been made.

Principal Rocio Fisher noted that the keys to the success at Gary School are primarily rooted in the effort of all of the teachers to articulate a vision for the school, set clear goals for teachers and students, use data to make instructional decisions, and use time efficiently and effectively. Gary School was selected by the Regional Office of Education due to its significant increase in test scores from 2010 to 2011.

Ed Leman, Superintendent of District 33 stated that it was an honor to be one of four schools in DuPage County selected to present their achievements at this conference. “All of our teachers work hard to make a difference in the lives of their students. The teachers and staff at Gary School should be proud of their efforts.”

Gary Elementary School is the third school in District 33 that has been selected to present at this conference in the past five years. Pioneer Elementary School and West Chicago Middle School were selected to present at past Conferences due to significant achievement gains.