Despite a dramatic growth in enrollment over a two year period and an ever-diversifying student body, Komarek School in North Riverside in 2006 again posted overall gains in its standardized test sores. According to the school’s 2006 report card from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), 84 percent of students met or exceeded state standards on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT), which is used by the ISBE to determine compliance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The school’s 2006 mark represented a roughly 3-percent increase in the number of students meeting state standards on the ISAT over 2005. That was achieved despite the fact that enrollment jumped from 392 in 2004 to 448 in 2006. Neil Pellicci, superintendent for the one-school district, indicated that enrollment in 2007 is up to 480 with the expectation that it will top 500 next year.

“Considering we increased by 100 students in two years, we’ve done well,” Pellicci said. “For a little school like ours that’s pretty significant.”

Komarek students across all grade levels performed highest in math, with 95.3 percent of third-graders, 94.6 percent of fourth-graders, 90.2 percent of fifth-graders, 80 percent of sixth-graders, 89.5 percent of seventh-graders and 85.7 percent of eighth-graders meeting state standards.

Readings scores, while relatively stable year over year, were slightly lower than math scores at Komarek. Some 79.1 percent of third-graders, 86.5 percent of fourth-graders, 72.5 percent of fifth-graders, 71.1 percent of sixth-graders, 75.4 percent of seventh-graders and 79.6 percent of eighth-graders met state standards in that subject. In all but one instance (sixth-grade reading), Komarek students performed better than their counterparts statewide.

The school manages again to meet the state’s standards for “adequate yearly progress,” (AYP) a term used to indicate that the school is not only meeting state standards generally, but is complying with the intent of No Child Left Behind. That is, that student “subgroups”-such as black and Hispanic students, special education students and low-income students-are also meeting state standards at an acceptable level.

Prior to 2006, Komarek School was not identified as having any subgroups. In 2006, Komarek School had several subgroups; all successfully hit AYP benchmarks. Some 61.4 percent of black students met state standards in reading, while 75.4 percent met those marks in math. Hispanic students posted passing levels at 77 percent for reading and 81.1 percent for math.

The school’s white students performed at a higher level, with 83.8 percent meeting state standards in reading and 96.1 percent in math.

According to the school report card, the school’s Hispanic population climbed to 26.6 percent in 2006, up from just 17.9 percent in 2003. Black students made up 19 percent of the enrollment, up from 14 percent in 2005. White student enrollment fell to 49.8 percent in 2006 from 57.6 percent in 2005. In 2003, white students made up 65 percent of the school’s population.

Pellicci said that the district in the last several years has experienced a number of families with young children moving into the district, principally from Berwyn, Cicero, Maywood and Chicago, municipalities that have significant black and Hispanic populations.

Komarek School District 94 serves North Riverside west of First Avenue and a portion of south Broadview.

The school’s changing demographics have prompted a number of initiatives over the past two years. Komarek School has added an English as a Second Language program, which it expanded this school year. Full-day kindergarten will become a reality at Komarek in 2007-08, while a preschool program is slated to begin in 2008-09.

For the 2006-07 school year, District 94 also hired a social worker, Pellicci said, “to see if we need to put anything in place to make sure the students are successful.”

“The school board has been forward-looking to keep on track with being successful,” Pellicci said.

Eventually, Pellicci projected that the school’s enrollment could top 550 students, at which time it would be at full capacity. Next year, the district will be using all but one available classroom. After that, the board would look to consolidate spaces, such as converting the computer lab into classrooms.

School scorecard
The following chart reflects the percentage of students in District 94 meeting state standards on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test since 2004. The number after the subject listing refers to the grade tested. Students in 4th, 6th and 7th grades were not tested in reading and math prior to 2006.

Subject 2005 2006 Change

Reading (3) 81.1% 79.1 -2.0%

State 66.6% 70.7% +4.1%

Math (3) 97.3% 95.3% -2.0%

State 79.2% 85.6% +6.4%

Reading (4) n/a 86.5% n/a

State n/a 72.9% n/a

Math (4) n/a 94.6.0% n/a

State n/a 84.8% n/a

Science (4) 89.4% 86.5% -2.9%

State 71.4% 79.8% +8.4%

Reading (5) 68.3% 72.5% +4.2%

State 62.8% 68.5% +5.7%

Math (5) 73.2% 90.2% +17.0%

State 73.1% 78.6% +5.5%

Reading (6) n/a 71.1% n/a

State n/a 72.8% n/a

Math (6) n/a 80.0% n/a

State n/a 79.1% n/a

Reading (7) n/a 75.4% n/a

State n/a 72.0% n/a

Math (7) n/a 89.5% n/a

State n/a 76.1% n/a

Science (7) 84.1% 93.0% +8.9%

State 74.6% 80.9% +6.3%

Reading (8) 85.7% 79.6% -6.1%

State 72.7% 79.2% +6.5%

Math (8) 69.4% 85.7% +16.3%

State 54.3% 78.2% +23.9%