Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment

District 53 is committed to a culture of excellence in education through continuous improvement, innovation and professional development. Our District encourages creativity and lifelong learning in our students by helping them to strive to be the best they can be every day and taking ownership and pride in their work.

SAVVAS Social Studies Pilot

Brook Forest Elementary School has been reviewing social studies curriculum materials for the past 18 months. After grade level teachers vetted resources from multiple companies, the school determined that SAVVAS was the most comprehensive curriculum to pilot during the 2023-2024 school year. Teachers from all grade levels participated in the pilot. A curriculum tool from the Illinois State Board of Education was used to measure curriculum, assessment and impact, and implementation. During the pilot, teachers utilized student workbooks, digital tools, and print and digital assessments. Team collaboration occurred at grade level, faculty, and team articulation meetings. Teachers received training from the company and had ongoing support from the Instructional Team. Teacher and student surveys were collected during the pilot. There is strong feedback from the teachers and students favoring SAVVAS resources. The social studies curriculum aligns to Standards, a learning environment supporting all students’ needs, reading comprehension, writing activities, academic vocabulary, social emotional learning, building a community, and cross curricular projects. 

If you have any questions regarding SAVVAS social studies pilot, please email Andrea Prola, Adam Nicholson, and Shelley Rokos. We are enthusiastic to share the benefits of this curriculum and how it can support Brook Forest Elementary. 

Core Resource List

Comparison of Student Achievement

Student Achievement Data

The District uses a framework of data to provide a picture of student achievement. This framework includes results of the Illinois Assessment of Readiness, NWEA MAP test and 5Essentials survey. These results are reviewed and analyzed each year to better inform the District, families and our community about school performance and climate. They are also used to evaluate practices and support instructional decision making. Each year, the District develops its Annual Student Achievement and Growth Report, which analyzes the data results and recommends goals for the future. IAR results and 5Essentials are also included each year as part of the Illinois State Report Card. 

School Report Cards

5 Essentials Data

The 5 Essentials Survey  is a research-based and practice-proven school improvement system that provides data and insight into schools’ organizational strengths and areas of opportunity across the five essential factors for school improvement. The Illinois State Board of Education requires that the survey be administered to parents, certified teachers, and students in grades 4-8.  It reflects the State Board’s goals for all schools to be safe, healthy and nurturing learning environments and for every student to have an excellent education.  The 5Essentials Report is an improvement tool that allows districts and the state to share data as a means to inform parents and community members about the school’s learning environment.

Butler 53 Assessments

Assessments are a way to measure student progress and instructional effectiveness. MAP measures growth of students, projects how well students will perform on high-stakes tests, informs educators how to differentiate instruction, evaluates programs and helps structure curriculum.

The tests are given on computers and reveals which academic skills and concepts that a student has acquired and what they are ready to learn. The test is adaptive, meaning that based on your child’s responses, it will adapt to each child’s instructional level. Because the tests are reliable and accurate, they are used by teachers as one of many means to determine a child’s learning level. The District uses other data to help guide educators in monitoring student progress and delivering curriculum and instruction that meets each child’s needs.  

The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) exam recently replaced PARCC.   IAR assesses the New Illinois Learning Standards Incorporating the Common Core and is  administered in English Language Arts and Mathematics. It not only evaluates a student's progress but also provides better information for teachers and parents to identify where a student is excelling or may need support.  The data provided enables the teachers to enhance instruction to meet individual student needs.