Hinsdale High School Teachers Association

How well does D86 prepare students for their journeys into higher education? The ECRA Group was hired by the Board of Education to survey our past graduates to find out. The survey of District graduates is best explained by the ECRA group directly from their report:

Hinsdale District 86 partnered with ECRA Group, Inc., a leader in educational research, to garner perceptions of graduates’ high school experience and gauge a picture of the paths they took after high school.

[…]

In the winter of the 2009-2010 school year, quantitative and qualitative data were collected through an online survey of graduates from the years 2005 through 2009. The survey instrument was a modified version of the Graduate Survey instrument used in 2008, based on suggestions presented by District 86 administration.

[…]

During the survey process, an attempt was made to reach all graduates from the 2005 through 2009 classes. Results are compared to those gathered in 2008 from the 2002 through 2006 classes. A postcard mailing was sent to all 2005 through 2009 graduates at their last known address, and emails were sent to parents with the request that the survey access be sent on to graduates. ECRA also used the social networking site Facebook as a tool to recruit survey respondents.

The survey results generated responses from 493 former graduates of District 86 (compared to 345 in 2008), with a margin of error of three-percent according to ECRA.

Highlights of the data included 97% of graduates grading the quality of education received in District 86 an “A” or “B”, with 71% rating this an “A”. Regarding their high school preparation enabling them to compete with their collegiate peers, 90% rated their preparation as either “A” or “B”. Where it came to their own preparation for higher education, 94% rated the district as either “A” or “B”, with 64% rating their preparation an “A”. When grading their former teachers, 92% rated district teachers either “A” or “B”, with the majority rated “A”.

Regarding teachers, Principal Mike McGrory shared the following with the faculty ECRA’s report:

Hinsdale Central Graduates gave high praises to their high school. A major theme that emerged from the responses was the appreciation for Hinsdale Central teachers, who were described as amazing, encouraging, caring, passionate about teaching and learning, and always willing to help. Graduates felt well-prepared for a higher education, and the diversity of opportunities afforded students did not go unnoticed by graduates. Graduates gave high compliments to the athletic and music programs. The guidance services offered at Central were also noted as beneficial.

Some even said that they felt over prepared for college, which made adjusting to college coursework more manageable. Some felt that having experienced the rigorous and competitive environment at Central helps them compete with their peers today. They enjoyed the additional opportunities to excel and felt that the relationships they formed with other students, teachers and coaches were highly valuable. They also mentioned numerous teachers, coaches and administrators by name and praised the efforts these educators put in every day to help students reach their full potential.

Many students expressed that they did not realize the full benefit they reaped from attending Central until after they left. To quote one student, “When I got to school, I was shocked at how well Central had prepared me for college-level schooling.” Others noted that they felt a sense of the importance and closeness of community during their high school years, and this community support helped motivate them to succeed.

Friday, October 22 is the date for this year’s Hinsdale High School Teachers Association Spaghetti Dinner from 4:00 to 8:00PM, served in the cafeteria at Hinsdale South. You can bring your kids, your parents, your friends and enjoy all-you-can-eat spaghetti with your choice of meat sauce or vegetarian sauce, salad, bread, dessert and beverage, all for the unheard-of low price of $5.00 ($4.00 for students.)  All profit go directly to the HHSTA Scholarship Fund, which awards scholarships to Hinsdale South graduating seniors.  Over $20,000 in scholarships have been awarded in the last 3 years alone.  Please join us!

During the October 4 Board of Education Committee of the Whole Meeting, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Dr. Bruce Law updated the Board on the following question:

“Have we extended the Hinsdale District 86 tradition of excellence?”

The answer was presented in data for student achievement. Student growth was measured in the difference between Explore testing taken in 8th grade and ACT testing taking in a student’s junior year:

Hinsdale South did not make AYP last year. However, it is important to observe that over the past five years the doubling at Hinsdale South of those sub- groups that historically and generally have under-performed has not always had the predictable, downward effect on PSAE scores or academic growth. Moreover, Hinsdale South juniors for whom the school has both an Explore test (taken in eighth grade) and the ACT (taken in eleventh grade) consistently made as much progress as national norms of progress for nearly every sub-group, even in those sub-groups that did not make AYP.

Students at Hinsdale Central also grew beyond national norms, which is striking because Central students started with higher Explore scores. The PSAE tells us how academically tall students are; we use the Explore and ACT tests to see how much they grew, regardless of their original academic stature. Thus while we clearly see more students in certain sub- groups need to be lifted up to state standards by their junior year, the amount of growth at both Hinsdale South and Hinsdale Central strongly suggests that our students work very hard under the instruction of highly effective teachers.

Where differences in Explore and ACT tests showed growth, AP classes were used to demonstrate rigor:

AP classes are more demanding than regular courses in the same subject area and thus serve reasonably well as a proxy for curricular rigor. Although the percentage of students taking at least one AP course during their four years rose only slightly at Hinsdale Central and decreased at South in 2010 over 2009, both schools had more students taking AP courses in 2010 than five years ago. Compared to 2006, six percent more students at Hinsdale Central took an AP course in 2010, and the percentage of tests of Central students earning at least a three on a five point scale on AP examinations—and therefore passing, according to the College Board—rose slightly. That is remarkable.

How do District 86 students compare to other students nationally on AP exams:

Compared to 2009 results, the most recent year the College Board makes data available, 13 percent of students in the US who took an AP course scored at least a three, compared to 48 percent at Central and 37.1 percent at South. For students to learn at high levels in rigorous courses, teachers must offer an instructional program to empower students to succeed, and the percentage of students who consistently pass AP exams indicate the strength of the instructional program.