Despite the recent wave of unseasonably warm weather, it's well known that cold and snowy weather conditions are on the way. That is why it is important for District families to know how information will be communicated regarding the potential school closings caused by inclement weather. The most critical factor in deciding to close or open school will always be student and staff safety. Whenever possible, District 90 will communicate a firm decision about school closings or delayed school opening by around 8:00 p.m. the evening before. In the event that the weather situation is uncertain and a definitive decision cannot reasonably be made by this time, the District will communicate the possibility of a school closing or delayed opening, again around 8:00 p.m., with the reminder that additional information will be forthcoming. If conditions deteriorate significantly and closing school or delaying its opening is necessary after this time, we will issue notification no later than 6:00 a.m. the morning of the day schools are to be closed. 

District 90 informs families about the possibility of school closing situation by 8:00 p.m. the night before in order for families to make any necessary advanced preparations. Families, faculty, staff, and the greater River Forest community will be informed of any decision via the School Messenger notification system. Information will also be placed on the District 90 website (home page and all school pages), Facebook, and sent to the Emergency Closing Center ( emergencyclosingcenter.com ), which communicates school closings to the area's television and radio stations.  

Winter Break will be here soon. District 90 schools will be closed from Monday, December 25 to Friday, January 6. Schools will be dismissed at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, December 22. The District Office and all school buildings will be closed from December 25, 2017 to January 1, 2018. On January 2, the District Office will reopen with amended hours until
January 6 from 8:00 a.m. 3: 00 p.m. On January 8, school resumes for students and school staff, and the District Office returns to regular business hours of 8:00 a.m. to
4: 30 p.m.

District 90 students continue to demonstrate consistently strong academic achievement, as determined by state standardized testing measures. The Illinois State Board of Education recently released results from the 2017 Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessment, which are also reported on the Illinois Report Card for public schools. Overall, District 90 students achieved levels of proficiency that more than doubled the state average. The average scores for the District indicate that more than 63 percent (63.4%) of students met or exceeded proficiency in math and more than 73 percent (73.3%) met or exceeded proficiency in English/Language Arts (ELA). While these PARCC scores indicate that District students continue to perform at a high level, the results also indicate that there are ongoing opportunities for growth, especially with certain sub-groups of students and in the area of math.

 

To help explain the relevance of the results and provide additional information about student assessment, the District held a Town Hall Forum with the topic, Student Achievement and Standardized Assessment in District 90. The Town Hall Forum replaced the normally scheduled Committee of the Whole meeting. Dr. Alison Hawley, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, briefed nearly 40 audience members with notable highlights from the PARCC and Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments. She also provided an overview of the District assessment portfolio, and explained the purposes of assessment in District 90, such as facilitating communication with families, helping to align curriculum with Illinois Learning Standards, providing a platform for monitoring student progress, and informing student placement for students in grades 4-8. Dr. Hawley presented grade-by-grade and racial/ethnic student performance results as well as provided an explanation of the concepts of academic growth and academic achievement. When reviewed together, academic growth and academic achievement indicators provide a better understanding of student progress than just looking at PARCC or MAP assessment scores alone. Click here to view the entire presentation.