The results of the annual 5Essentials survey were presented by Supt. Elizabeth Alvarez during the District 91 school board meeting on June 12. D91 achieved the second highest level of organizational strength as a result of the survey, an improvement from 2024.
Administered by the Illinois State Board of Education, the 5Essentials survey gathers feedback from teachers, parents and students about school effectiveness, focusing on five key areas: effective leaders, collaborative teachers, involved families, supportive environment, and ambitious instruction. The survey results help schools identify strengths and areas for improvement, ultimately aiming to enhance student outcomes.
Within the context of the survey, the state board assigns school ratings that fall into five categories: not yet organized, partially organized, moderately organized, organized, and well-organized.
When Alvarez began her role at D91 in 2021, the district was rated “partially organized” and then eventually achieved the “moderately organized” designation.
“In 2024, we were moderately organized and we were there for quite some time,” Alvarez said. “I’m proud to say that we are now an organized district.”
Areas where D91 is performing the highest are parent influence on decision making, teacher-teacher trust, program coherence, quality professional development and instructional leadership.
Areas where there is room for improvement are student-teacher trust, safety, peer support for academic work and academic personalism — which refers to the ability of teachers to build strong, positive relationships with students and provide individualized support to help them succeed academically.
Dr. Robert Hubbird, D91’s assistant superintendent of finance and operations, said becoming an organized district is a major positive — and it’s something the district had set out to accomplish in its strategic plan.
“It’s very exciting because really what it translates to is that we’re closing the achievement gap,” he said. “We’re making sure our kids are on grade level or above grade level and performing at a higher rate.”
Hubbird said this new rating was reached by making sure that everything they do centers around the students and ensuring that they meet the needs of their staff.
“Whether its additional training they need, or additional resources, it’s making sure they have the tools that are necessary to do their job effectively,” he said.
During the meeting, an end-of-year financial projection was also presented by Hubbird, who said the district will end the fiscal year with a surplus.
“Right now, we’re looking at a surplus of about $300-400 thousand dollars, so that’s good and that helps us plan for next year,” he said.