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Center for Performance

5Essentials Survey





Overview and FAQs

Beginning February 1, 2013, educators and students across Illinois will have an opportunity to participate in the Illinois 5Essentials Survey: Organizing Schools for Improvement. This survey was designed to provide a detailed portrait of the inner workings of a school from an organizational perspective.

“The State Board has long understood that test scores alone do not offer the full picture of schools and learning,” said State Superintendent of Education Christopher A. Koch. “The Illinois 5Essentials Survey will finally help us paint that fuller picture of learning conditions and guide local and state improvement initiatives so that every student has access to a world class education.”

This unique opportunity will allow teachers, students and parents to provide feedback on the critical elements of school effectiveness.

The Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago, on behalf of the Illinois School Board of Education.



 5Essentials Indicators

The Illinois 5 Essentials Survey identifies five indicators that lead to important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains.

The five indicators that positively affect school success are:

Research derived from the Five Essentials for School Success has proven that schools strong on at least 3 of the 5Essentials are 10 times more likely to improve student outcomes.



Survey Administration

The Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered February 1- March 31, 2013. All certified teachers, students in grades 6 through 12, and parents will be asked to participate in the 15 minute survey. Respondent identities and individual responses will be kept completely confidential. 



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