Dear Parents and Guardians of District 113 Students,
It's hard to believe that our first quarter of school is wrapping up. We've had a great start to the 2012/2013 school year. I wanted to update you on some student data that was recently presented to the Board of Education. The information pertained to social and emotional aspects of adolescents, substance use patterns, and student engagement. Research has shown that students who feel connected to school are less likely to participate in at-risk behaviors. As a school system, we want to measure how connected our students are feeling to the high schools.
Deerfield High School Assistant Principal Lilly Brandt and Highland Park High School Dean Patrick Sassen presented 2012 District 113 Illinois Youth Survey (IYS) and High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE) data to Board members during a retreat earlier this month. You can view their presentation by clicking here.
IYS is a self-report survey administered in school settings and is designed to gather information about a variety of health and social indicators including student alcohol and drug use. HSSSE investigates the attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs of students about their work, the school learning environment, and their interaction with the school community.
With this improved knowledge of our schools, we can provide more precisely targeted and evidence-based solutions to improve the social, emotional, and intellectual engagement of all students.
George V. Fornero
Superintendent