Big Hollow School District

Barbara Steinseifer, Director of Curriuclum and Instruction

barbarasteinseifer@bighollow.us / 847-740-1490 x4110

Nicole Stroup, Teaching and Learning Coordinator

nicolestroup@bighollow.us / 847-740-1490 x5009

Cathy Alonso, Administrative Assistant

cathyalonso@bighollow.us / 847-740-1490 x5323

teach and learn

Welcome to Big Hollow’s Teaching and Learning Department where we are committed to providing standards aligned innovative, and inclusive educational experience that addresses the diverse needs of all students. We implement, design, and continuously evaluate curricula that are not only aligned with state standards, but also reflect high leverage instructional practices backed by research. By offering targeted professional development and providing comprehensive instructional resources, we empower teachers with the tools and support they need to deliver high-quality, student-centered instruction. Our focus on continuous improvement and data-driven practices ensures that we are always evolving to meet the needs of all of our learners. Through these efforts, we aim to cultivate academic excellence, foster critical thinking, and prepare students for success in an ever-changing global society.

Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum

Curricular Resources
Grades	Content	Curricular Resource	Publisher
K- 2	English Language Arts	Open Court	McGraw Hill
K-2	Spanish Language Arts
1-4	English Language Arts	School Wide	School Wide
K-4	Math	Illustrative Mathematics	Imagine Learning
K-4	Science	Mystery Science	Discovery Education
K-4	Social Science	Scholastic News	Scholastic
K-8	Social Emotional Learning	Second Step	Committee for Learning
5-8	Math	Big Ideas Math	National Geographic Learning
5-8	Science	Amplify Learning	Amplify Education
5-8	Social Science	Actively Learn	McGraw Hill
5-8	Spanish

Illinois Instructional Mandates

Big Hollow School District 38 is committed to meeting the Illinois Instructional Mandates, which establish key educational standards to ensure a well-rounded and comprehensive education for all students. These mandates encompass a broad range of subjects, including health education, civics, computer science, and more. We are dedicated to integrating the Illinois mandates into our curriculum, empowering students with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in an ever-evolving world.
A Parent's Guide to Standards Based Grading

Parent Communication

Parent Presentation

Big Hollow School District 38 uses several state and district assessments to monitor student progress and evaluate program effectiveness. This Assessment Overview provides descriptions of the assessments used throughout the year, including the type of assessment; skills assessed; frequency of administration; and participating grades. Detailed information about each assessment is provided below the overview table.

Type of Assessment	Name	Skills Assessed	Frequency	Grades
State	Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR)	English Language Arts & Math	Once/Year (Spring)	3-8
State	Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM)	Alternative Assessment	Once/ Year (Spring)	3-8
State	Illinois Science Assessment (ISA)	Science	Once/Year (Spring)	5, 8
State	ACCESS	Language Proficiency	Once/ Year (Winter)	K-8
District	GOLD	Academic & Social Development	3 Times/ year (Fall/ Win/ Spr)	PK
District	Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)	Reading & Math	2 Times/Year (Win/Spr)	2-8
District	Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS)	Social/Emotional & Behavioral Risk Factors	Times/Year (Fall/Win/Spr)	K-8
District	FastBridge Learning®	Foundational Reading & Math	3 Times/Year (Fall/Win/Spr)	K-6
District	CoGat	Verbal, Non-Verbal, Quantitative Aptitude	1 Time/ Year (Winter)	4-5
District	Las-Links	Language Proficiency
District	Fountas and Pinnell Running Record	Reading Fluency and Comprehension	1-3 Times/ Year (Fall/ Win/ Spring)	K-4
District	Words Their Way Spelling Inventory	Phonics	3 Times/ Year (Fall/ Win/ Spring)	1-4
School	Positive Behavior Interventions & S supports (PBIS) Survey	Climate and Learning Environment

District Assessment Calendar

Assessment Descriptions

Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) is the state assessment and accountability measure for Illinois students enrolled in a public school district. IAR assesses the Illinois Learning Standards Incorporating the Common Core and are administered in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) is aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and is used to measure student mastery of the Illinois science standards.

Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) is a Common Core-aligned, adaptive, computer-based assessment. This nationally normed assessment is designed to measure growth over time in the areas of reading and math. The MAP uses a RIT (Rasch Unit) scale developed to simplify the interpretation of test scores as it grows over time. The district utilizes the achievement and growth data to inform instructional planning for individuals and groups of students.

FastBridge Learning® is a universal screening and progress monitoring tool that supports Multi-Tiered Services and Supports (MTSS) for reading and math. FastBridge uses brief, valid and reliable measures of reading and math performance for grades K-6.

The Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS) by FastBridge Learning® is a brief, efficient tool for universal screening of student risk for social-emotional and behavioral problems. Teachers complete a 19-item SAEBRS screener for K-4 students, while 5-8 students complete a 20-item mySAEBRS screener using a self-paced computer assessment. The results allow teachers to assess the overall impact of their Social/Emotional Learning (SEL) instruction, as well as proactively identify students’ social or emotional needs.