Brookwood 167

August 22, 2011

Dear Parent/Guardian:
Brookwood School District 167 is committed to providing a high-quality educational program for your child. We are working hard to provide programs to help all students succeed in our school district.

Your child attends Brookwood Middle School which receives federal Title I funds. These funds provide help for your child to meet state achievement standards. In the 2010-2011 school year, the school did not meet the adequate yearly progress (AYP) targets. Your child’s school is in school improvement which means the school has failed to make adequate yearly progress for 3 consecutive years in the same subject and is required to offer public school choice and supplemental education services. A family must meet low-income guidelines to qualify for supplemental education services.

Our district’s 2011 report card and the most recent AYP status report for your school shows how your child’s school compares to other schools in our district and state. These reports are available on our Web site at www.brookwood167.org, at your child’s school, and at the school district office.

Under “No Child Left Behind” in order to make adequate yearly progress for the 2010-2011 school year 85% of the students in grades five and six had to meet or exceed state expectations on the ISAT in reading and mathematics. Your child’s school has been identified because fewer than 85% of students in the Black subgroup met or exceeded state expectations in Reading and Math. The school is working to improve the school’s academic program by intensive ongoing staff development in the area of reading instruction. After school assistance will be available to all students in reading and math. The district and the State Board of Education are working with your child’s school to help improve the academic standards of the school. This is being accomplished by providing technical assistance to the teachers and administrators within your child’s school.

However, this may not be enough and we want to request your help as the school addresses its academic problems. You can be involved in addressing these academic issues by checking your child’s assignments on a daily basis, assisting your child in studying for a test, regular communication with your child’s teacher, attending school events, reading and discussing books with yourchild and being involved in school and district committees such as the Parent Advisory Council.

The No Child Left Behind Act provides you, as a parent, the option to transfer your child to another public school within the district with transportation provided by the district. However, at this time we do not have a school within the district to which your child can transfer. We have contacted neighboring districts to request that they provide us with a school(s) we can offer you as an option. No school district has agreed to do so this school year.

Please call Onquanette Nowels-Pierce, Principal, Brookwood Middle School at 708-758-5350 if you have any questions.

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Pamela K. Hollich
Superintendent