North Cook News

The Evanston Township High School (ETHS) District 202 Board discussed an update on their efforts to promote literacy during a meeting held on Feb. 21.

During the meeting, several district representatives provided the Board with an update on their literacy efforts following a presentation from their feeder district, District 65. 

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Pete Bavis stated that overall English Language Arts (ELA) scores had remained consistent over the past several years with no significant increases or decreases reported. He also spoke on the performance gaps between white students and Black and Latino students, who've consistently received lower scores.

Academic Supports Department Director Jerry Succes discussed some of the events that the district has held with the goal of promoting literacy and literacy efforts for students and their families. The district held a "Community Lit Fest" outdoors during the summer with food vendors, teachers greeting students and families, and books given out free of charge. They also held two book pop-up stands, where they gave more books to families for free. 

The district will also host a "Family Literacy Night" in April to give students more books and teach families the importance of encouraging reading and good literacy habits at home. The district currently has 55 students participating in its "Literacy Labs," where they receive one-on-one support in building reading skills. District 65 will also be collaborating with District 202 to execute the "Summer LIFT Program," which will help students resolve any skill gaps that they may be experiencing.

"Just to speak a little bit more on some of the things we're doing within 202 that also benefit kids coming from D65 into 202 is our tier two reading course," ETHS Associate Principal of Instruction and Literacy Kiwana Brown said. "This is an intervention course that services many of our students who come into the district and need additional reading support. This is our flexible group and course, so students come into the course based [on] their MAP score. 

"So we look at the best of their reading MAP score, and students who place between 210 and below are placed into this course. But it's a flexible grouping. So within it, they're able to move through different tiers of support. We tier them so that they are offered different levels of support as they climb up the reading ladder, the literacy ladder," Brown said.

District 202 members also discussed addressing the expectations and grading gap between their district and District 65, as many of those who come to the former from the latter experience different levels of measurement and achievement, and are typically not at the experience level that District 202 expects from incoming freshmen. The district stated its goal is to streamline the transition and better prepare students to enter high school and meet the established academic goals and standards.