One of the most influential studies in the field of public education, conducted at the University of Chicago, is the study on the 5 Essential Elements. The 5 Essential Elements are now a part of every “school report card” in the state of Illinois.
It looks at the following 5 Essential Elements of a school:
1. Effective Instructional Leaders
2. Ambitious Instruction
3. Collaborative Teachers
4. Supportive Environments
5. Engaged Families
The 5 Essential Elements have been proven to have significant impact on the success of a school.
For the past two years, the Ounce of Prevention Fund and University of Chicago Consortium have been working to adapt this tool from the K-12 setting to the Pre-K setting. They are now ready to begin implementing the tools to measure the 5 Essential Elements in a preschool setting. Before rolling this work out state, and eventually nationwide, they will pilot this work at The Rockford Public Schools and Chicago Commons!
What does this mean for Chicago Commons? This recent change will mean that our schools will not only be getting a great deal of information, but we will also be involved in some very special professional development aimed at helping us focus on continuous quality improvement.