Sipley Holds Third Place in National School Spirit Competition

Parents and staff at John L. Sipley Elementary want to celebrate their school.

That's why Sipley entered America's School Spirit Challenge, sponsored by GreatSchools and explore.org. Schools compete for the most votes – one vote per e-mail address. The school with the most votes wins $20,000. The school with the second most votes wins $7,000 and the third wins $5,000.

Support from alumni, families and the community has put Sipley in third place.

As of Wednesday, Oct. 6, Sipley had 439 votes, making it the only Illinois school in the top 20. In first place is Ely Esy in Ely, Minn., with 2344 votes. The second place school, Madeline English School in Everett, Mass., has 605 votes. The competition began on Sept. 20 and goes until Nov. 12.

Principal Don Mrozik said Sipley wants to use the money for reading and math assistance for its low-income students.

"I think if people knew why we were doing it, they'd really get behind it," he said.

The school will also submit an application for a Pepsi Refresh Project grant on Nov. 1 to pursue funding. The school has met with Sylvan Learning Center to express interest in an after-school tutoring program at Sipley.

Patti Cash, co-vice president of the Sipley Student Teacher Parent Organization, said receiving the money would be great, but participating in the competition will foster pride in Sipley, a school that's received negative reviews in the past.

"Some of our parents have asked how they could help (the school)," Cash said. "One of them had the idea for the School Spirit Competition and the Refresh Project."

Sipley has lagged behind other District 68 schools in recent school rankings based in part on test scores. Sipley ranked last among District 68 schools according to Chicago Magazine, coming in at 198 out of the 215 schools listed from DuPage County.

The school also has the lowest rating of the six District 68 elementary schools on GreatSchools. Sipley's rating is 4 out of 10. Edgewood Elementary has a 5, Goodrich received a 6, Meadowview and William F. Murphy are at 7 and Willow Creek has an 8.

Mrozik has said he's worked on better communicating with parents to address the positive aspects at Sipley.

"It's not just about AYP (adequate yearly progress)," he said. "It's about what's going on in the classroom, too."

As part of the School Spirit Competition, voters are asked to rate the school they're voting for. Sipley's current parent rating on GreatSchools is five out of five, both for overall and for principal leadership, teacher quality and parent involvement.

Mrozik said Sipley's test scores were on a "downward slope" when he assumed the position as principal last year. Behavior was a major issue, too.

Now those scores are improving, and behavior referrals have decreased 84 percent from last year.

Sipley focused on behavior last year, even devoting a full school day to demonstrating appropriate behavior in various school situations like the playground, classroom and bathroom.

"Now the students know what's expected of them," Cash said.

Like the students' behavior, their test scores have also shown growth, specifically for low-income students. On the 2009 ISAT, 28 percent of low-income students met or exceeded school standards. That number jumped to 54.7 percent in 2010. Overall, 72 percent of students met or exceeded state standards in reading. In 2010, 81.5 percent did. In math, that number jumped from 78.4 to 81.9 percent.

As test scores and behavior have improved, parents said the atmosphere in the school has transformed.

"There was a shift last year," Cash said. "The kids are excited to come to school. There have been positive changes and there's a level of consistency…We're seeing more parents being involved."

"I can tell that it's different," said STP President Eileen Baaske. "The teachers seem more happy and more supported."

Mrozik said he hopes the School Spirit Competition will continue to draw attention to the good at Sipley.

"I've worked at six schools, and this is the best staff I've worked with," he said. "We have a great school."  

To vote for Sipley, click here.