5 Essentials Survey
February 22, 2021
Dear Hollis Families:
Hollis Grade School will join the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) in the ninth statewide survey of school climate and learning conditions. The survey provides a unique opportunity for students, teachers, and parents to have a voice in improving their schools. From now through April 2, students and teachers will be asked to take a short research-based survey to help identify strengths and weaknesses in their school’s learning environment. The parent survey supplement will also be administered during the same survey window. These surveys will serve as an opportunity for schools to reflect on progress since the last statewide implementation.
The Illinois 5Essentials Survey provides a comprehensive picture of a school’s organizational culture in an individualized report measuring five “essentials” critical for school success:
- Effective Leaders
- Collaborative Teachers
- Involved Families
- Supportive Environment
- Ambitious Instruction
Twenty years of research at the University of Chicago in more than 400 schools has shown that schools that were strong on at least three of the 5Essentials were 10 times more likely to make substantial gains in improving student reading and math than schools that were weak on three or more of the Essentials. Those differences remained true even after controlling for student and school characteristics, including poverty, race, gender, and neighborhood characteristics. Strength on components within the Essentials also correlated with increased teacher retention, student attendance, college enrollment, and high school graduation.
As always, your participation in this survey remains completely anonymous. These survey results help us in our ongoing efforts to provide the best educational experience for all of our students.
The survey can be accessed online at
http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/
Please feel free to contact us with any questions.