2019 Illinois School Report Card

The quotes below are from November 12, 2013, when Williamsfield Schools ranked 18th out of the 30 area school districts academically. In 2019, we rank 2nd. Again, see below. We performed 23 points above the state average and 26 points above the area average (see http://bit.ly/academicTRENDS). AND WE STILL HAVE ROOM FOR GROWTH! All of these scores are embedded into our annual Illinois School Report card which can be viewed here, and our annual school performance report which can be viewed here. To accompany our high test scores, we have students earning FREE Associate’s Degrees during high school and pursuing their passions on-the-job as part of their high school experience. We are extremely proud of our students, our staff, and our community. Our expectations remain high and we look forward to reporting even better results next fall.

IN THE NEWS (click the pic)

Williamsfield Schools Selected to Participate in Innovative Pilot

After a lengthy application process, Williamsfield Schools has been chosen as 1 of 10 school districts to participate in a statewide competency-based learning pilot. The Illinois State Board of Education launched the pilot program to spur innovation in the way high schools prepare students for meaningful careers. The program is a product of the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act, passed unanimously by both legislative houses and signed into law by Governor Bruce Rauner in 2016.

“The way we prepare students for college and career must evolve if we want to fuel a thriving economy and healthy communities,” said State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith, Ph.D. “When students leave our schools, they should leave with the keys to open multiple doors, any of which can lead to a successful future.”

“The 10 school districts participating in the first cohort of the Competency-Based High School Graduation Requirements Pilot are opening new doors for students and educators,” said Smith. “These districts are modeling the future I want to see in Illinois - innovative, led by educators, supportive of the whole child and of every student reaching their full potential, and with schools at the center of healthy communities.”

Participation in this pilot gives us increased flexibility to meet the needs of our kids. It allows us to place greater emphasis on skill development and less emphasis on “seat time.” It also allows us to better personalize the high school experience, giving our kids more opportunities to pursue their passions and position themselves for success. At the end of the day, our participation in the pilot program will help us transition our high school culture from one of chasing credits in order to be done to an environment where more of our students view the high school experience as an opportunity to prepare themselves to lead personally productive lives.

Be sure to check out the News Channel 8 feature on Williamsfield Schools here. We couldn’t be more excited for our students and staff, and we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to participate. We can’t wait to see the positive impact this has on our kids!

$110,000 Awarded to Williamsfield Schools for STEM Courses

Williamsfield Schools is extremely excited to announce our selection to receive $110,000 from Project Lead the Way! This grant will fuel our continued effort to revitalize STEM classrooms and curriculum. The funds will be used over 3-years and will help us create the engaging, hands-on classrooms that empower our students to strengthen their STEM knowledge and skills. Teacher training, curricular materials, and classroom equipment/supplies will be purchased with this generous award. This money will go a long way in helping us create the new STEM Lab our students, staff, and community deserve.

To learn more about Project Lead the Way (PLTW), check out www.pltw.org. Grant funding will support integration of the following courses beginning next school year: