The MetriTech Research Study on SAC Effectiveness

Find out what an independent research firm
had to say about the SAC Initiative.

MetriTech, Inc. conducted an independent assessment of the Standards-Aligned Classroom Initiative through pre and post surveys and interviews with participants over a three-year period. The data collected was consistent and significant and was as follows:

Overall, teachers who have adopted the SAC principles felt much more positively towards standards-aligned instruction and the Illinois Learning Standards.

Did Grade Level Affect the Degree of Change?

Teachers across grade level groupings from kindergarten through high school reported a significant increase in confidence in teaching the Illinois Learning Standards through their participation in the Standards-Aligned Classroom Initiative.

Did Years of Teaching Experience Affect the Degree of Change?

Teachers at all levels of experience reported an increased confidence in teaching a standards-led classroom through their participation in SAC.

Newspaper:  Peoria Journal Star  

Date:  Jan 25, 2007
Day of Week:  Thursday 
Edition:  2
Section:  NEIGHBORS
Page:  Z1
Headline:  Glendale success known statewide - Teachers, principal share reasons for rising test scores at conference
Byline:  Steve Stein
Captions:  Published:  Scott Estes; Sarah Yerly 
Length (in lines):  

EAST PEORIA - Illinois Standards Achievement Test scores have been on the rise at Glendale School since 2000.

Third-graders have improved 13 percent in reading, 14 percent in math and 42 percent in writing.

Fifth-graders have improved 13 percent in reading, 17 percent in math and 27 percent in writing.

While those numbers are impressive on their own, it's important to note that 50 percent of the 215 students in the third- through fifth-grade grades school come from low-income families that are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and 20 percent receive special-education services.

Principal Scott Estes is proud of what Glendale staff and students have accomplished. And humble.

"We don't have all the answers at our school," he said. "We're in the trenches, just like everyone else."

But not everyone was chosen to make a presentation at the Illinois Association of Regional Offices of Education's annual Raising Student Achievement Conference last month at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles. Glendale was one of four schools selected.

Estes was joined by Glendale fifth-grade teachers Marie Elward and Sarah Yerly and fourth-grade teacher Trina Weigle in a one-hour breakout session presentation titled "Standards-Aligned Classroom: A Student Success Story."

The delegation described the practical practices that have emerged from Glendale teachers' SAC training offered through the Tazewell County Regional Office of Education, and detailed Glendale's rise in ISAT scores.

This is Estes' seventh year as Glendale principal, and the sixth year for SAC training at the East Peoria District 86 school. Elward, Yerly and Weigle were among the first Glendale teachers to receive the training in math, writing and compare-contrast activities.

In the SAC program, teachers and students develop educational targets based on Illinois Learning Standards, and students are able to assess how close they are to reaching those targets.

Yerly said she likes the SAC approach because students are taught that hitting a target is contingent upon achieving smaller preliminary  goals.

"For example, students writing a paper need to focus on areas like staying on topic, offering supporting data if needed, organization, writing flow, transitions, grabbing the reader's attention, and coming up with appropriate opening and closing statements," Yerly said.

Student Achievement Conference participants gave positive feedback to the Glendale quartet after their presentation, and also have sent e-mails asking for more information.

Haines Middle School in St. Charles, Mark Twain School in Kankakee and Riverview Elementary School in South Beloit also made presentations in St. Charles.

Steve Stein can be reached at 686-3119 or stevestein21@yahoo.com.

Jennifer Towery
Neighbors Editor
Journal Star
1 News Plaza
Peoria, IL 61643
(309) 686-3119

Galesburg CUSD #205

Representative Michael K. Smith
Representative 91^st District
253 – S Stratton Building
Springfield, IL 62706 

Dear Representative Smith:           

I am writing you to plead to take whatever action is necessary to restore funding for the Standards Aligned Classroom Project. It is my understanding that Governor Blagojevich cut this vital initiative from the state budget. In this era of accountability and the need for high standards, SAC is the best program of which I’m aware that truly gets to the notion of real learning. Its affect on the instruction in our District has been significant. We are the most implemented SAC District in the State and have been at it at the Elementary and Middle School levels for seven years. We’ve had numerous teams at every building and have gone schoolwide in several.

 What is the net result you may ask? Please refer to the two scatter plots from the 2006 IIRC ISAT results copied below. As you can see, we are a high poverty school district (53.5% F/R Lunch in 2006 and growing). Still the achievement in our District remains at the top edge of achievement compared to poverty of all districts in Illinois. In fact, if you use the IIRC website, you will find that all of the districts with higher achievement and higher poverty are either small rural unit districts or elementary districts. Additionally, you will note that the achievement of our individual schools also falls at the upper edge of the state’s achievement bar. Again, most of the schools with higher achievement are either small, rural schools or magnet schools in larger districts. The one K-5 school in our District with “only 70% meets and exceeds” has since been closed and those 300 students incorporated into our other elementary. A one year phenomenon? Please note our 2007 Final ISAT scores at the bottom of this page. We are continuing to improve!

What is the reason for this success? Beyond our dedicated staff and hard working students, I would say that our extensive involvement in the SAC initiative is largely responsible. The staffs at our schools are focused on standards alignment with assessment, activities, and instructional methods aligned to those standards. This focus has been brought about by our extensive work in SAC. Please do whatever you can to not only continue but extend this valuable project. It works for all children and is an invaluable tool for our District and its teachers.

Thanks for your consideration. Please e-mail or call if I can be of any further assistance.

Sincerely,

Joel Estes
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction
Galesburg CUSD No. 205

ISAT’07

FINAL District #205 RESULTS (%’s Meets & Exceeds)

DISTRICT RESULTS

SCHOOL RESULTS

Percentages indicate percent of students meeting and exceeding state standards on the 2005-06-07 ISAT assessments.

* Of particular note – 81% of our third graders met or exceeded state standards in reading! For the previous three years our percentages were: 71%, 72%, & 75%. 2007’s third grade was the first class that had partial exposure to Reading Recovery in the 2004-05 school year.

Churchill Jr. High School, Galesburg CUSD #205

Dear Representative:                                              

In these days of constant criticism of the performance of our public schools it was very disheartening to hear that the funding for the Standards Aligned Classroom training was discontinued.  I have been an educator for 24 years and an administrator for the past 9 years.  I will tell you that Standards Aligned Classroom training has been the BEST model of professional development I have witnessed in my entire career. 

I worked in both the Abingdon and Galesburg middle schools as a principal, and our scores on the Illinois Standard Achievement Tests rose dramatically in both schools.  With the intense pressure of No Child Left Behind and the need for improved student achievement, I was shocked to learn the funding had been eliminated for SAC.  Our scores at Abingdon Middle School and Churchill Jr. High School improved primarily because of the training teachers received from SAC. 

In both of those buildings, my main priority was to raise student achievement and primarily in math.  The following charts represent the outstanding improvements in student achievement for Churchill and again, I will attest that SAC had the largest impact on our student success.  Abingdon Middle School scores show similar improvements due to their participation in SAC. 

I thank you for considering re-instating the funding for a program, (Standards Aligned Classroom) that we desperately need to continue to demonstrate similar gains in student achievement.  The training is supported by scientific research and provides our teachers the most important professional development tool offered.

Respectfully submitted,

Bart A. Arthur, Principal
Churchill Jr. High School
Galesburg CUSD #205