Marengo-Union

Student Achievement is very important to the staff of District 165 and I am proud to share with our parents and community that District 165 continues to provide a high quality education for all the students who attend our schools.  In the recent publication of Illinois Student Achievement Test  (ISAT), 87% of all our students met or exceeded on the standardized tests as taken last spring.  It is very important to note, that all students in grades 3-8 participate in these tests.  There are no exceptions, even for our students receiving special education services or English language learners.  We are very pleased with the outcome of these tests.

Even though we performed well, the District was not able to achieve the federally mandated AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) as dictated by law. The law (NCLB) stated that for students tested in Spring of 2011, 85% of all students must meet or exceed state standards.  As a “whole” district we did meet that mark, but some of our smaller subgroups did not.   The subgroups that continue to struggle to meet the mark are students receiving Special Ed and ESL (English as a Second Language) services.  It stands to reason that students who are still acquiring English as a Language or have been identified as needing specialized instruction for learning difficulties, that they should be exempt from such a law, but that is not the case.  Dr. Chris Koch, the Illinois State Superintendent of Schools recently reported that 80% of all schools and 65% of all school districts in Illinois did not make AYP.  Those statistics should help to quantify that a revamping needs to occur to make the reporting of these tests more equitable for all our students, regardless of their abilities, ethnicities, special services, or economic status.

As shown in the graph below, the District continues to show academic growth year after year and is 5% above the state average.   As a District, we will continue to focus on closing the academic gap for these specific students while still maintaining rigor in our other academic offerings.  In looking at the educational programming for the 2011-12 school year, a consideration to help increase instructional time for our District includes all-day kindergarten.  Additionally, students who need extra remediation in reading and math will qualify for an after school session beginning in January of 2012.  We continue to work diligently on behalf of our students to provide the best education for our students with the financial resources available.

We are initiating an intercom monitoring system. The school doors will remain locked throughout the day and visitors need to ring the bell located to the right of the front door. A camera lets the office see who is there and visitors will be buzzed in. Visitors will then sign in at the office, obtain a visitor's sticker then return to the office and sign-out when leaving. 

The Mission 

District #165 is dedicated to academic excellence through the cooperation and interaction of students, staff, parents, and community. We are committed to providing opportunities for students to achieve their personal best, become responsible and productive citizens, and embrace the value of learning.
 
 
Keep Your Students Information Updated 
If you are withdrawing your child at anytime during the school year, you must come in, to fill out the necessary paperwork releasing your child from our school district.  MCMS 815-568-5720, Locust 815-568-7632.
Please continue to notify the school(s) of any changes being made to phone numbers and addresses as they occur.