FINANCIAL SECTION - School District U-46

FY 2011 Budget Goals
From the time he was named superintendent in July 2008, Dr. José M. Torres has continually
noted the need to raise the bar, close the achievement gap, and cultivate relationships. The FY
2011 Budget goals are closely aligned to the 2010-2011 District Improvement Plan that aims to
prepare the students of our District to be competitive in college and the workplace and eliminate
the achievement gap.
The first District Improvement Plan was adopted by the Board of Education in 2003. The plan
was based on months of staff discussions with district stakeholders, as well as some assistance
from national experts provided by the Stupski Foundation.
Seven years later the work that was started in 2003 continues to pay dividends as the District
continues to strive to achieve its goal of “Academic Success for All.” The Five Pillars of the
2010-2011 District Improvement Plan are:
Pillar 1: Teaching, Learning & Leadership
Pillar 2: Recognition & Interventions
Pillar 3: Operational Excellence
Pillar 4: Accountability for Continuous Improvement
Pillar 5: Family and Community Engagement
Our Theory of Action states that if we have effective teaching and learning, and effective school
leadership, then we will reach our goal of “Academic Success for All.” The District Improvement
Plan continues to drive the work in U-46.
The District Improvement Plan is on the agenda of every Board of Education meeting. At the
first meeting of each month, a formal “District Improvement Plan report” focusing on one of the
pillars is presented at the beginning of the meeting. At the last meeting of the month, a written
progress report is included in the board packets, and at the meeting, the Superintendent
provides a short summary of the update to the Board and entertains questions from the
members at that time.
For the 2009-2010 school year, some of our major accomplishments included:
Increased Student Achievement - The results of the student performance on both the
Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) and Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE)
demonstrate increased student achievement for all student groups in both reading and
math in 2010.
Increased Student Access to a More Rigorous Curriculum – More students are taking
Advanced Placement courses, and the number of students taking AP exams is
increasing. At the same time, the participation of African-American and Latino students
increased.
1-5