EFFINGHAM — How do Illinois children become adequately prepared for participation in a globally competitive workforce?

    That’s what the folks at Advance Illinois — a Chicago-based non-profit advocacy group — want to find out. The organization is releasing a report Sept. 23 that will outline the state of education in Illinois.

    Wednesday, Advance Illinois staff members Sharod Gordon and Jim O’Connor shared ways the general public can understand the report with a small group of businesspeople and educators at the Greater Effingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

    O’Connor, the group’s project director, said local residents could be able to use the report as a mechanism of change in their school district.

    “The report card will have some action items that local people can use in their communities,” O’Connor said.

    Gordon, the group’s director of outreach, said the report will go beyond funding issues.

    “It’s really not about funding,” he said.

    “It’s about the correlation between spending and what can be done with those resources,” O’Connor added. “Sometimes, resources are not allocated properly.”

    One report discussed Wednesday focuses on conditions for learning, including health and safety, level of expectation and participation, strength of relationships, and parent and community engagement.

    “It’s about ‘climate;’ and ‘feel,’” O’Connor said.

    O’Connor said poor conditions for learning can have a devastating impact on student development.

    “These conditions can directly affect cognitive and psychosocial development of students, as well as teacher performance and turnover,” he said.

    O’Connor said surveys have shown schools with strong conditions for learning show higher achievement than schools with weaker conditions.

    While some conditions for learning can be gleaned from standardized test scores and school attendance rates, O’Connor said school districts have information that parents can use for even more understanding, including dropout rates, percentage of students who attend college, number of ninth- and 10th-graders performing at grade level, number of suspensions and expulsions, and teacher attendance and retention rates.

    Shelly Beck, curriculum director at Effingham Unit 40 schools, said school districts aren’t always receptive to providing this information.

    “Sometimes, this puts the district on guard,” Beck said, adding that district staff members sometimes perceive the information-gatherer as a potential adversary because of the way they ask for the information.

    That’s why, Gordon said, parents should try to portray their request in a positive light.

    “Your request will be better received if you portray yourself as a partner of the district,” he said. “The model of going in and demanding information just doesn’t work.”

    Gordon and O’Connor also discussed ways to determine student readiness framed by the question: Is your child on track to earn a college degree?

    A draft report shared Wednesday shows that grades and the Illinois Scholastic Achievement Test (ISAT) are inaccurate standards to track readiness. More effective standards, according to the report, include reading levels in primary grades, mathematics skill in middle and higher grades, grades in advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses, or SAT and ACT scores.

    But Effingham High School teacher Joe Fatheree worries that some kids might not fit the college-bound model.

    “I just don’t want it to be misleading,” Fatheree said. “These are great standards to aspire to, but not every child is going to be in advanced reading.

    “Vocational is not a dirty word,” Fatheree added.

    Gordon said different communities have different standards of success. For example, parents of inner-city students might not place as much weight on academic achievement as a measure of success.

    “To them, bad relates to behavior or safety,” he said.

    Gordon said the report released Sept. 23 will include policy recommendations for local school districts. It will be available online at www.advanceillinois.org.

    Bill Grimes can reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 132 or bill.grimes@effinghamdailynews.com.