Dear River Trails Families,
We need your input. Throughout the next two months, students, teachers, parents and guardians across Illinois have an opportunity to participate in the annual Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent or guardian, this is a chance to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness.
On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. These five indicators that affect and predict school success are:
- Effective Leaders
- Collaborative Teachers
- Involved Families
- Supportive Environments
- Ambitious Instruction
Prior research in more than 400 schools has shown that schools that were strong on at least three of these “5Essential” indicators were 10 times more likely to improve student learning gains in math and reading than those that were weak on three or more Essentials.
For the survey to be validated, we need at least 20 percent of our parents and guardians to participate. Your input will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.
The Illinois 5Essentials Survey for parents and guardians is open through March 31 at https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/. More information about the student portion of the survey will be shared soon.
Sincerely,
River Trails School District 26