The Illinois "5Essentials Survey"

On Feb. 14, 2024, the Staunton Schools Administration released and posted a notice both on Facebook and on the Staunton Schools website regarding the Staunton School District. Beginning in February, students and teachers across Illinois will have an opportunity to participate in the eleventh annual statewide “Illinois 5Essentials Survey.” This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school. This opportunity will allow for parents to share their thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about their child’s school.

On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the “Illinois 5Essentials Survey” will be administered online by UChicago Impact of the University of Chicago. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. These five indicators that affect and predict school success are:

Effective Leaders; Collaborative Teachers; Involved Families; Supportive Environments; and Ambitious Instruction

Prior research in more than 400 schools has shown that schools that were strong on at least three of these “5Essential” indicators were ten times more likely to improve student learning gains in math and reading than those that were weak on three or more Essentials.

All teachers and fourth through twelfth grade students will be responding to this survey. “5Essentials” Reports will be generated for schools if their teachers and students meet the response rate threshold of 50 percent. These reports will be sent to schools and districts and will also be included in the State School Report Card.

The participation in the parent portion of the survey will help the Administration of Staunton Schools understand the conditions of a child’s school and as well as guide improvement. Individual identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential. In addition, the identity and survey responses will never be connected to the child, the family, as well as any of the test recipients. For the survey, be sure to select and begin with the appropriate one. Please visit the following website to take the survey: https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/.

For more information about the “Illinois 5Essentials Survey,” or to view previous years’ Reports, please visit https://www.5-essentials.org/illinois. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact 5Essentials Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or [email protected].

-Staunton Schools Administration