South: District Information
East Richland Community Unit School District #1
East Richland Elementary
Located in the eastern Illinois community of Olney, Illinois, this elementary school serves approximately 1000 students in Pre-K – 5th grade. The school district is in Richland County with a small town and rural setting. The school has a limited enrollment of minority students. Approximately, 53% of all students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
East Richland Elementary School was named the 2004 Illinois Exemplary Reading School by the Illinois Reading Association for its high achievement on ISAT. The school has participated in numerous state initiatives including Project Choices, STARNET, PBIS, and Illinois Autism Training.
East Richland Elementary School staff initiated planning and attended training related to the problem solving model/early intervention during the 2005-2006 year by accessing resources of the Central Illinois FLEX Consortium. A school leadership team of teachers, administrators, related service staff, and a parent are in place and serving as a catalyst to implement the Illinois ASPIRE initiatives.
MASSAC County Unit School District #1
Metropolis Elementary School
Located in one of the southern most counties (Massac County) in Illinois, Metropolis Elementary School serves students from small towns and rural area. Metropolis Elementary School is a K-6 attendance center with an enrollment of 512 students. Approximately 75% of students are eligible for the free or reduced lunch program.
The school has had extensive involvement with state leadership initiatives including an Illinois Educator Academy grant, Parent Mentoring Project, Illinois Autism Training Project, and PBIS training. Metropolis Elementary School achieved AYP on the 2005 ISAT.
Although the district has somewhat limited resources, they have made a significant commitment of staff time and resources to implement the mission of the Illinois ASPIRE Project. A team of administrators, teachers, related service staff and parents has been formed to provide leadership for ASPIRE initiatives.
Waterloo Community Unit School District #5
W.J. Zahnow Elementary School
W.J. Zahnow elementary school and Waterloo District #5 are in Monroe County which is one of the fastest growing counties in the State of Illinois. Located just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri, the school district is quickly transitioning from a rural to suburban setting. W.J. Zahnow enrollment has increased 18% in the past five years.
W.J. Zahnow is a pre-kindergarten through second grade attendance center housing 615 students. It achieved “AYP Meets” status on the 2005 ISAT. The school district has had involvement with key program improvement initiatives including PBIS, Project Choices, Standards Aligned Classrooms, the Flexible Service Delivery Model, and the use of DIBELS.
Staff at W.J. Zahnow have been piloting a Flexible Service Delivery Model and the utilization of DIBELS for the past two years. The school has a strong commitment to addressing early intervention in reading for at-risk students.
Nokomis Community Unit School District #22
North Elementary School
Nokomis Elementary School is located in Montgomery County and serves 270 students in a K-4 building. Approximately, 43% of students are from low-income families and many of these students are at risk of academic failure.
The Nokomis Elementary School team initiated ASPIRE training during 2007-08 and are committed to implementing the training content. Utilizing AIMSweb data they have initiated a problem solving and RtI approach to addressing school improvement and reading achievement.
Whiteside School District #115
Whiteside Elementary School
Whiteside Elementary School is located in Belleville, Illinois and St. Clair County. This suburban district is part of the fast growing Metro St. Louis area on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. The school serves a diverse population of 817 students from Pre-K through 4th grade with approximately 50% minority and 50% Caucasian. Also, 37% of the students are eligible for the free or reduced lunch program. The school achieved AYP on the 2005 ISAT.
The school has been actively implementing the PBIS program for the past 4 years and has also had extensive involvement in STARNET training and Standards Aligned Classroom. The PBIS experience has fostered a comprehensive understanding of the value of the problem solving model and 3-tiered approach to intervention.
Whiteside Elementary School formed an RtI team of teachers, administrators, related service staff, and a parent to conduct planning for transition to the Illinois ASPIRE project during the 2005-2006 school year. This leadership team facilitated school-wide awareness training related to the ASPIRE initiative during the 2005-2006 school year.
Sesser-Valier Community Unit School District #196
Sesser-Valier Elementary School
Located in southern Illinois, Sesser-Valier Elementary School serves 355 students from the communities of Sesser and Valier. Approximately, 48% of students come from low-income families and many of these students are at risk of academic failure.
Sesser-Valier Elementary participated in Illinois ASPIRE training in 2006-07 and 2007-08. The school team has made an extensive commitment to implement a problem solving and RtI model. Utilizing AIMSweb data and the three tier model of intervention, they are enhancing their reading program for all students.