Dear Parent,
Beginning February 1, teachers, parents and students across Illinois will have an opportunity to participate in the Illinois 5Essentials Survey: Organizing Schools for Improvement. This survey was designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school.
The Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago, on behalf of the Illinois School Board of Education. This survey identifies five indicators that can lead to important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. The five indicators that effect school success are:
- Effective Leaders
- Collaborative Teachers
- Involved Families
- Supportive Environments
- Ambitious Instruction
Research has shown that schools strong on these indicators, the `` 5Essentials” are 10 times more likely to improve student learning.
School-level reports will be generated if at least 30 percent of parents respond to the survey and will be sent to schools and districts in the June and will be included in each school report card, released by ISBE at the end of October. 5Essentials Reports for your school will also then be publicly available via the UChicago Impact website. 5Essentials Reports will display summary information, such as the percent of parents agreeing that they feel comfortable raising concerns to their child’s teacher. Parent and student identities will be kept completely confidential and responses will not be linked to any individual.
Your participation in the Illinois 5Essentials Survey 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 will be conducted February 1 through March 31, 2013. You will receive detailed instructions on how to access and successfully complete the survey in January 2013.
For more information about the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, or to view sample school reports, please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact 5Essentials Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or 5essentials@uchicago.edu.
Sincerely, Mark Scott