Elmhurst D-205 May Tap Consultant To Bolster Math Scores

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst School District 205 is calculating that hiring a consultant could help improve students' math performance.

In 2021, 42 percent of local students in third through eighth grades met or exceeded expectations in math on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness. That dropped from 51 percent in 2019.

The state also saw a decline in the same period, from 38 percent to 30 percent.

In a September memo, the district said the percentage of Elmhurst students meeting or exceeding expectations on the assessment ranged from 47 to 52 percent over the last five years. It was unclear why the district did not say 42 percent was on the low end.

The proposed cost for the consultant, Santa Cruz, California-based New Teacher Center, is $47,000.

Board members asked why the district could not do the project internally.

In response, Kerry Leuschel, executive director of secondary schools, said such work would take a number of years if done in-house.

"We don't have the staffing to do that in a single year," she said.

Board member Jim Collins said that when he read a sample report from New Teacher Center, "I was kind of underwhelmed by their level of sophistication."

Leuschel said she wanted to talk with Collins about specifics.

According to the district's memo, the consultant would observe math classes, hold focus groups, review materials, analyze data, and then present findings. That would be done within a year, the district said.

Superintendent Keisha Campbell said many may think of increasing staffing when seeking to improve students' performance.

"I want to pause and say, 'How can we potentially maybe redistribute resources?'" she said.

The board plans to vote on a consultant's contract at a later meeting.