Teachers at Hickory Creek Middle School use their know-how and creativity to meet all students where they are at academically, but staff still manage to satisfy state educational standards.
“Instead of lowering what the learning objective is, they’re going to go out of their way to make sure a kid with any learning obstacle can meet the objective,” noted Doug Wernet, superintendent of Frankfort School District 157-C. “For example, differentiating their instruction, individualizing their instructional plan, making themselves available for addition support and finding ways to engage them in the content, because they really are experts in their content, too.”
These methods helped the school become a 2024 National Blue Ribbon Award winner, along with two others in the south suburbs: Palos East Elementary School in Palos Heights and H.H. Conrady Junior High School in Hickory Hills. Altogether, 18 Illinois schools received the special status this year.
For Hickory Creek, it was the third time it received the national award. The first in the 1990s when it was called Frankfort Junior High School, then in 2018 and finally this year. Fellow District 157-C school Chelsea Intermediate won in 2022.
“The other thing I think is important at Hickory Creek is our students have a really strong connection to the school through our advisory period,” said Wernet, explaining students have the same advisor all year, who serves as an advocate. “Students always know they have their advisor as their “go-to” person. “We believe this program helps students feel connected and safe at the school.”
Leaders at all three winning schools said they take painstaking efforts to help students meet state standards through their teaching methods, collaboration and professional development for staff.
At Palos East Elementary School in Palos Consolidated School District 118, teachers work in Professional Learning Communities to ensure students are mastering each grade level before entering the next. They participate in professional development that offers “differentiated instruction, scaffolding (removing support once students are competent), cooperative learning, hands-on learning, and incorporating the “Four C’s” (critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication,)” according to Ron Cozza, assistant superintendent for Curriculum.
“Incorporating the belief that all students can learn at high levels, the professional staff at Palos East works in collaborative teams to unwrap standards, determine pacing, identify levels of proficiency, create common formative assessments, and review the data to plan for intervention and extension activities,” Cozza said.
Cozza also said families, the community and educators all chip in to help students succeed. That includes a Parent Faculty Association, Music Parents Association and Educational Foundation.
“The district emphasizes open lines of communication between families and educators through parent-teacher conferences, newsletters, email updates and digital platforms,” he said.
At Conrady Junior High School, which was also recognized as an Exemplary High Performing School in 2017, applause and cheers throughout the school when staff announced this year’s win, according to the district web site.
Area elementary schools that feed into Conrady have also received the honor, including Oak Ridge Elementary School in Palos Hills in 2023 and Glen Oaks Elementary School in Hickory Hills in 2019 and 2012.
“It is not easy work, but it is worth it,” principal Adrienne Muniz said of efforts to meet educational standards. “This Blue Ribbon award is validation of that ongoing work and the opportunities it affords our hard-working students and staff.”
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
