Core Curriculum
School District 67’s standard curriculum is the basis of instruction for all students. Modifications are made by staff to meet the instructional needs of the group and the individual student. Each student, regardless of group placement, receives the same basic core curriculum. Grouping allows variation of pace, depth, breadth, and mode of instruction with which the material is studied.

Student Placement

For information on placement of students new to the district, please click here.

Assignment to a classroom group is made after professional consideration of each individual child by the building principal and his/her staff. Taken into consideration are such factors as class size, sex of students, learning styles, ability and achievement, learning or emotional problems, and peer relationships. Parental requests asking that a child be placed with a specific teacher are discouraged. If extenuating circumstances exist, a written request to the building principal may be submitted. This request should provide specific reasons and a thorough explanation of the child's needs. Such a request will be considered if the reasons given do not conflict with other factors stated above.

Elementary Schools
Elementary students may be grouped for instruction in reading and math so that instruction may be tailored more towards individual needs and students may progress at their own levels. In other subject areas, assignment to groups may change on a day-to-day basis, depending upon the immediate and long-range needs of the children.

An Enrichment Resource Teacher supports student learning at each of our three elementary schools. These educators work closely with classroom teachers in kindergarten through grade four to help provide flexible grouping and assistance in meeting individual student needs.

Middle School
For instruction in language arts and math, the following instructional classroom groups are maintained:

• Language Arts – Parallel Curriculum, Standard, Advanced, and Quest
• Math – Parallel Curriculum, Standard, Advanced, Advanced Plus (5th & 6th only), and Quest

 

Placement in Advanced, Advanced Plus, and Quest classes for middle school students is based on testing data and the professional judgment of the child’s teachers. Individual student placement is reviewed on an ongoing basis throughout the year.

Additionally, at the eighth grade level, when there are enough students for two distinct learning groups, an honors class may be offered in Latin, French, Spanish or Mandarin. Placement in a World Language honors class is determined by teacher recommendation.

Testing Program
The use of tests, quizzes, written or oral reports, discussions, participation and other factors are considered in the total evaluation of the progress of a student. One phase of this evaluation is the use of standardized tests. Lake Forest District 67 uses standardized assessment to meet state requirements and to further three important district goals: 1) measuring student growth and progress, 2) monitoring curriculum strengths and weaknesses, and 3) assisting in student placement decisions. District 67 does not use standardized test scores as a summative evaluation of the school district, as a means of comparing performance among district schools, or as a means of evaluating teacher performance. When applied over a period of time and used in relation to other evaluation devices, these tests may provide an indication of overall group achievement.

District personnel analyze this data for student growth and curriculum strengths and weaknesses. Teachers may also use the results for support data in studying class and individual student growth.

District 67 uses the NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) to measure academic achievement in grades 2-8. In third grade, the Cognitive Abilities Test is used to assess aptitude. The Illinois Standards Achievement Test is administered to all students in grades 3-8 and provides another indicator of group academic achievement data. Parents receive test reports for each standardized assessment in which a child has participated.

District 67 Standardized Assessment Results
The District 67 Assessment Committee ensures that the District compares itself to a variety of local, state, national, and international standards. District 67 continues to score significantly well above the state expectations for each grade level tested on the Illinois Standard Achievement Test (ISAT). The NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) is used to measure student growth and achievement on the District 67 math, reading, and language usage benchmarks. National percentile norming data is also provided. We believe these measures assist us in setting the expectation of world-class achievement in the Lake Forest School District.

Reporting Pupil Progress
Student progress shall be reported to parents on an ongoing basis through regularly scheduled parent-teacher conferences. Fall and spring parent-teacher conferences may be held on a flexible schedule. Each teacher will determine his or her own scheduling process. The homeroom teacher or teaching team shall meet with every student's parent(s) sometime in the fall. The fall conference may be scheduled any time on or before the conference dates (see district calendar for dates)

The spring conference dates are in March (see district calendar for dates). The second conference may be scheduled on these days or any time after the fall conference. If both the teacher and parent(s) see no need for a conference at that time, the conference will be waived.

When a conference is scheduled and parent(s) are unavailable, the conference will be rescheduled at a mutually agreed upon time. Phone conferences are acceptable. Both parents and teachers have the right to ask for a conference at any time during the school year.

Progress reports are given to parents of children in first through fourth grade prior to the fall conference, and for children in Kindergarten through fourth grade, prior to the spring conference. A final progress report is given to parents at the end of the school year. A formal computer-generated report card is sent three times during the school year to the homes of fifth through eighth grade students. This report designates a letter grade given for each subject. In addition, middle school students bring progress reports home to parents at the beginning of each month. Parents will receive a mailed computer printout if their child is progressing unsatisfactorily. The printout details the student's tests, quizzes and homework scores as well as an opportunity for a personal comment by the student's classroom teacher. Parents are encouraged to contact the individual teachers whenever there is a question regarding a child's status.

Promotion
Promotion from eighth grade is contingent upon students having earned minimum passing grades and having demonstrated sufficient social and emotional growth and development or upon the best judgment of school authorities who determine that it is in the best interests of the child that promotion be granted. Minimum requirements are demonstrated by maintaining a 1.00 average in all core classes for all three terms of the school year. Also, students must pass the United States, and Illinois State Constitution Tests.