Assessment Program in Gower

Illinois legislation requires each school district to report information to ISBE concerning the administration of standardized assessments to students at each school. The law also requires schools to make this information public via the school district’s website or distribution in paper form. Districts can comply with this requirement by linking to the assessment survey results. This will also allow districts to track their completion rate. The survey will dynamically populate data submitted in the previous year for review and editing as needed. Please note that the law defines tests “scored by a non-district entity” as the focus of this data collection effort. We refer to these as “standardized.”  View the results of the annual assessment survey submitted by Gower District Administrators to ISBE by using this link: https://www.isbe.net/Pages/AssessmentSurveyResults.aspx

The standardized tests listed below are given at various times throughout the school year as measurements of student achievement and the effectiveness of our programs and curriculum. To learn more about our Academic Performance, visit our dedicated webpage here. 

MAP Measure of Academic Progress is given in grades K-8 in the fall, winter, and spring.

Assesses:  Reading and Math Achievement and Student Growth

For more information:  http://www.nwea.org

 

CogAT Cognitive Abilities Test is given in grades 2 and 4 (spring).

Assesses: School Aptitude   

(Students may be tested in the middle school as needed)             

                            

ISA Illinois Science Assessment is given in grades 5 and 8 in the spring

Assesses:  Science knowledge and skills

 

IAR Illinois Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers is given in grades 3-8. 

Assesses:  English Language Arts and Math 

 

Fitnessgram Offers multiple tests to assess aerobic capacity, body composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance and flexibility. To access more information regarding Fitnessgram please visit this link.

 

ACCESS English Language Proficiency Test

Administered in January/February to all students in K-8th grade that are receiving English as a Second Language support

Assesses:  Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening

 

KIDS Kindergarten Individual Development Survey

This reporting instrument is used annually with all kindergarten students during the fall.

Assesses:  Readiness for school in the areas of math, language and literacy development, approaches to learning, and social/emotional development.

 

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Grading in Gower

 

It is important to remember that students learn best with formative assessment and feedback!!!

Over the last several years, Gower West has been using a Standards Based Report Card for Kindergarten through 4th grade. Shared as part of the monthly Superintendent’s Report at the Nov. 19, 2019 Board meeting, Supt Report Appendix B – GW Report Card Redesign, was presented as part of the district’s shift to a standards based grading system over time.  Gower West report cards may be accessed three times a year using PowerSchool. Parents and students are issued user accounts to access this information.

The following report – Standards Based Grading – Gower School District – was presented to the Board of Education at the regularly scheduled Board meeting held on May 17, 2022 and may serve as a valuable source of information regarding this subject. Additionally, the Gower Foundation Podcast, The Gladiator Soundboard, published an episode dedicated to this topic; What Does Testing, Learning, and Grading Look Like in Gower? and can be accessed by using this link.

Gower Middle grades for students in 5th through 8th grade may be accessed using PowerSchool. Fifth grade students will be using standards based grading for Science, Social Studies and specials classes. They will have traditional grades for English Language Arts and Mathematics. Grades are typically updated weekly beginning after the 3rd week of each trimester.

The grading scale is 93–100 (A), 82–92 (B), 71–81 (C), 60–70 (D), and below 60 (F). In 5th grade, this scale is used for ELA and math only. In grades 6–8, the scale is used for all core classes.

For assistance with logging in or if personal Internet access is not available, please call the school office to request a printed copy. 

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Range of Readiness Model in Gower

In April, 2018, Gower School District Officials led the development of the “Range of Readiness Model” as a balanced, research-based and appropriate approach to apply current student performance data to the concept of high school and/or college ‘readiness’. This model was adopted by Gower School District and is being used by other elementary school districts in the area as well as the local high school district.  As educators, we know that having information early on about a student’s “readiness” for a particular end goal is helpful in terms of shaping a more personalized educational experience.  Intervention, opportunities for acceleration, curriculum and course design are all items that can become much more targeted with reliable “on-track” measures.  The model is limited in scope to a student’s NWEA/MAP performance and growth over time, but is helpful in providing insight to and projections for performance later in a student’s academic career on the ACT as well as the SAT through correlation. 

To review and or download a full copy of the initial report, Simon, V. (2018). Range of Readiness Model please use this link.   

Gower School District 62 is implementing the Capturing Kids’ Process, which involves working with students on the Illinois Social and Emotional Learning Standards in order to help students be successful in all settings. Teachers and students work together to create a “social or class contract” to define how members of the classroom ‘community’ will treat each other. These cornerstone documents are used as a way to build and maintain a supportive environment for all students and are regularly referred to throughout the school year. There are several components to the Capturing Kids’ Process, however the main focus is on a way of being: respectful, respected, building relationships, sharing “Good Things”, making good decisions, self-managing behaviors, and a positive learning environment for all. Since adopting the process in the 2012-2013 school year and making a long-term commitment to building a supportive environment for all students, both Gower West and Gower Middle School have been recognized as National CKH Showcase Schools, making Gower School District a National CKH Showcase District!

 

To learn more about the Capturing Kids’ Hearts process, please visit their website here.

Overview

Continuous improvement and looking for innovative ways to engage students and increase student learning are important goals of the administrative team and teachers. The Gower INNOVATE 62 Committee ​continues to move the district forward in achieving these goals by ​crafting​ a vision for teaching and learning in Gower. In 2013, the INNOVATE 62 Committee designed and began the implementation of the i3 Learning Initiative in Gower with these important goals in mind.

 

i3 Learning: Innovate, Integrate, and Inspire

• will ​promote​ innovation​ in the classroom

• will integrate digital learning beyond the traditional classroom setting, and

• ​will ​inspire​ students to create content ​and not simply consume ​it

 

The ​i3 Learning Initiative continues to focus on and result in​

• Alignment with the Future Ready Framework (Board-adopted, 2014) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards. 

• Thoughtful, purposeful use of educational technology that supports direct instruction, play-based learning, and hands-on classroom experiences. 

• Age-appropriate access to devices and learning management systems to support student learning:

  • Students in kindergarten and 1st grade use a shared set of Chromebooks at school,

  • Students in grades 2-8 are assigned a personal Chromebook.

• District-managed content filtering and activity monitoring (GoGuardian) to support a safe, focused digital learning environment.

• Ongoing professional development for teachers, including Google Certification and training in student-led strategies aligned with​ 21st Century skills.

• Classroom instruction that promotes problem- solving, collaboration​,​ and student ownership of learning through Gower's online community.

The use of eLearning Days in place of what would otherwise be used as Emergency Closure Days was approved by the Gower Board of Education in 2019 and another forward-thinking action taken by our Future Ready district. This is an exciting opportunity for Gower School District and was made possible by the collaboration between our staff, our administrative team and our parent representatives on the Board.

Remember, the emphasis on the ‘e’ is ‘engagement’!

 

PLEASE SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK WITH US!

Our school administrators and staff are happy to answer any questions you may have regarding our eLearning Program.  If you have any further questions regarding our e-learning program please reach out to us directly.

 

Gower West 

Phone Number: (630) 286-4925

Email: eLearningGW@gower62.com

Gower Middle

Phone Number: (630) 286-4933

Email: eLearningGM@gower62.com

 

Another way to share your feedback about our eLearning Program is to use the following Google Form. Information submitted via the eLearning Feedback Form will be shared with our administrative staff and used with other feedback collected as an ongoing review of our program.

Board Policy 6:185-Remote Education Program

Remote Education Request Form