Teaching and Learning

Student and Instructional Services provides support and leadership to assist students, parents, teachers and community members in achieving District goals and academic success for all students.

Focus Areas

Curriculum

Marquardt School District 15's curriculum is aligned to the Illinois State Standards for each grade level as it relates to English Language Arts, Fine Arts, Mathematics, Science, Physical Development/Health, Social/Emotional Learning, and Social Science.

Continuum of Programs

Marquardt School District 15 monitors the progress of students very closely. We strive to meet the needs of each of our students through a variety of instructional practices. Any parent who feels that their child requires such services may contact their principal for assistance.

Bilingual and English Learner Program is designed to enable EL students to attain both English proficiency and parity with their non-EL peers in academic content at grade level. This is accomplished within a variety of effective program models.
Special Education-Services are provided for students who qualify according to state criteria for specified programs or services. Services may include occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech/language therapy as well as programs designed for students with learning disabilities and behavioral disorders.

Students with disabilities who do not qualify for an individualized education program, as required by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and implementing provisions of Illinois law, may qualify for services under Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 if the student (i) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, (ii) has a record of a physical or mental impairment, or (iii) is regarded as having a physical or mental impairment.
- Resource- The Resource Program is designed for students who require special education services less than 50% of their school day. This type of program can include consultation by the resource teacher to the regular classroom teacher and/or individual or small group direct instruction, by the special education teacher.
- Specialized Academic Classrooms- (Supported by the Cooperative Association for Special Education) – Specialized Academic Classrooms are self-contained special education classrooms designed for students who exhibit difficulties in the area of communication, socialization and academics. Support is also provided for students who have motor or sensory needs. Some Specialized Academic Classrooms are located within the special ed. cooperative, but not within Marquardt District 15.
- Emotional Support Program- The ESP program is a highly structured program for students who exhibit emotional and/or behavioral difficulties. These programs provide specialized techniques and emotional support to allow students to benefit from educational instruction.
- Hearing Impaired- Programs for students with hearing impairments are available in cooperation with the C.A.S.E. or SASED Special Education Cooperatives. Students may be serviced by an itinerant teacher who comes to the child’s home school or in a self-contained class structure.
- Speech and Language- Speech and Language Services are provided for students with speech and/or language impairments which interfere with their educational or social development.
- School Social Worker and Psychologist- School Psychologists support the students' educational teams by utilizing data to determine students' academic strengths, weaknesses, and areas for development. They help teams by offering suggestions and ideas for academic interventions and supports. They help teams to better support students in managing their behaviors by collecting data and offering ideas to the educational team.
- Early Childhood Special Education Program is designed for students with identified developmental delays in the area of speech and language, motoric, behavioral and/or cognitive functioning. This program is designed to provide early intervention in each of the developmental areas. MSD15 Social Workers work with students and their families to help both through difficulties that may affect the students’ academic performance or socialization at school. They can also provide assistance in connecting families to outside counseling or social service organizations.
  
  To schedule a Preschool Developmental Screening for your child, please call Metropolitan Family Services at 630-784-4802.
Accelerated Math is a challenging accelerated program for academically able learners in the upper elementary grades. Advanced math learners receive daily math instruction with certified math teachers in content a year or more above their current grade level.
Co-Taught Classes use an instructional model where two or more teachers work together to support student learning and growth. Co-taught classes provide students with the opportunity to receive instruction and feedback from multiple instructors with different strengths and perspectives. This model can be used to support general instruction or specific differentiated instruction.
Summer School is a great way for your child to learn throughout the summer. We offer a variety of opportunities that allow your child to learn in a fun, hands-on environment. For students who are in instrumental music, there are band and orchestra camps. Sports camps are also available where students can hone their skills or just get active and try something new.
Summer Music Camp is a great way to immerse your student in the musical arts during Break.
PBIS Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports is a framework from which good behavior is systematically described and taught through expectations and rewarded when evidenced by students.
Acceleration Processes
- Early Entrance: Illinois Administrative Code indicates that a child who reaches 5 years of age by September 1 of their kindergarten year, may enter kindergarten. A child who reaches 6 years of age by September 1 of their first grade year, may enter grade one.
  
  Early entrance to school may be an excellent accelerative option for academically talented young children who do not reach the state requirements for age as defined by state code. Marquardt School District 15 has an acceleration policy and procedure that addresses exceptions for children whose potential and skills are very superior when compared with their peers.
  
  The decision for a child to enter school early is an important one, and one that impacts a child, both academically and socially, for the rest of the child’s school career. This decision involves not only academic readiness, but academic potential and social-emotional maturity.
  
  The Early Entrance Process is open between February 1 and April 1 each school year. Parents/guardians who feel their child is a strong candidate for early entrance should contact the appropriate school principal.
- Whole Grade: This applies to children who are in kindergarten and show potential for whole grade acceleration during trimester 3 of the kindergarten year or children who are in 1st grade or higher and show potential for grade level acceleration (must be started by March 1st of current school year.)
  
  Referral for Whole Grade Acceleration must be submitted by MSD15 educator (additionally, a parent request must come through the classroom teacher.) This referral must go through a Whole Grade Acceleration Process. Parents/guardians who feel their child is a strong candidate for early entrance should contact the appropriate school principal.
  
  Whole grade acceleration may be an excellent accelerative option for academically talented students who meet certain state requirements. The decision for a child to accelerate grade levels is an important one, and one that impacts a child, both academically and socially, for the rest of the child’s school career. This decision involves not only academic readiness, but academic potential and social-emotional maturity.
e-Learning: MSD15 offers e-Learning in the case of an emergency including, but not limited to, snow days, “cold” days, etc.

Assessment

Every school’s goal is for all children to grow and learn. Just as we use a tape measure to mark a person’s physical growth, in schools we use a variety of assessments to measure learning. Teachers use these results to help plan instruction and provide appropriate support. The following assessments are used in Marquardt School District 15 to understand what students know and can do:

i-Ready Diagnostic Assessment is a K-8 district administered assessment in reading and mathematics used to measure growth relative to national and local grade level peers. The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit each student’s needs. Test questions are individualized and based on answers to the previous questions. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier questions. The i-Ready diagnostic is administered three times a year in both reading and mathematics: August, December, April/May

To support your child with i-Ready, consider visiting the
i-Ready Family Center

Dynamic Learning Maps Essential Elements supports the Illinois Learning Standards for specified students who participate in Special Education Services.

Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) is a State-mandated achievement test that measures a student’s learning in relation to the Illinois Learning Standards. The assessments of English Language Arts and Mathematics are administered in grades three through eight. This assessment is taken in March.

Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) is a State-mandated achievement test that measures a student’s learning in relation to the Illinois Learning Standards in Science. This assessment is administered in grades five and eight. This assessment is taken in March.

PreACT provides valuable insights into students' predicted performance on the ACT and helps inform important high school course decisions. This assessment is taken by all 8th grade students in the fall.

ACCESS for ELLs (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Learners) is a summative English language proficiency assessment. It is taken annually by English language learners in kindergarten through grade 8.

To support your child with ACCESS, consider visiting the Illinois Board of Education's ACCESS Resources page and these How-to Videos.

Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) is an observational tool designed to help teachers, administrators, and families better understand the developmental readiness of children entering kindergarten. Data for this tool is recorded in the fall and spring of the kindergarten year.

Professional Development

Staff Development in District 15 is our commitment to help all employees stay current around effective practice in instruction. These effective learning opportunities are designed to promote continuous, ongoing, and connected adult learning that is focused on accelerating student learning. Through ongoing and rigorous staff development, we believe our already high-performing staff will continue to meet the challenges of helping all students succeed. Below are a few ways that Marquardt School District 15 supports our staff's development as professionals: