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District 211 Expands Its Summer School Program

Posted on: Thursday, 19 January 2006, 21:00 CST

By Chad Brooks Daily Herald Staff Writer

Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 is again expanding its summer school program, another push to get all students meeting state educational standards.

On the heels of last summer's successful Incoming Freshmen Summer Academy, the district already had instituted a Sophomore Summer Academy for this year and will now add a English as a Second Language Summer Academy.

The school board unanimously approved the creation of the new ESL summer program this week, which will be aimed at students who are not as successful as expected.

Superintendent Roger Thornton said the goal of all of the summer school academies is getting students prepared for higher level classes than they are currently taking. "We want to be able to move kids to that next level of class," Thornton said.

Lisa Small, the district's director of instructional improvement, said students in all grades will be selected for the required six- week program based on certain yearly assessments. About 375 students are expected to participate.

Students needing math and English acceleration will attend the required program, with three weeks devoted strictly to math and second half focused on language skills.

Those who need only work on their English will spend all six weeks concentrating on reading, writing, comprehension and speaking skills.

"The teachers are really excited about this opportunity," said Nancy Robb, associate superintendent for instruction.

A similar, voluntary course has been offered in the past, Robb said, but wasn't as well attended as the district would have liked, in large part to the cost associated with the class.

While the ESL Summer Academy will be free to the students selected to participate, Robb said students were required to pay regular summer fees for the old class.

Also this week, the district set its regular summer school fees for this year, which will be unchanged from last summer.

Academic courses will cost $140 a semester for residents and $240 for students not living in the district. Non-credit physical education and activity classes will cost $30 a semester.

The largest fees are for the gifted enrichment course, $195, and driver's education, which is $350.

Source: Daily Herald; Arlington Heights, Ill.

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