School Board President Gerald Pauling shared that as a fellow member of the legal community, he gets a unique view of Board Vice President Debbie Berman's impact in her professional life. Today, Debbie sat in the US Supreme Court with a case she has worked on for 9 years being heard before the court. That is a remarkable milestone in a lawyer's career that very few experience.
He also shared that at the Dads Squad event he was named the OG Dad as his children have graduated from HF. He noted that the excitement of the Dads throughout the event could be felt.
Zenia Smith-Boyd was inducted into the Illinois High School Cheerleading Coaching Organization Hall of Fame - Class of 2023
From the Track Team, Ana Liese Torian ran the 60 hurdles in 8.47 seconds while competing at Oliver Nazarene University this weekend beating the facility record for all college athletes of 8.55 seconds.
Board of Education Vice President Debbie Berman (H-F '84) was recently named to the 2023 Crain's Chicago Business Notable Litigators and Trial Attorneys list for her impact throughout the world.
He also shared that a schoolwide academic incentive Ice Cream Social will recognize 300 students for their positive behaviors. This exclusive event is for invited students who are passing all classes, have zero tardies and zero referrals.
Board approves move to Integrated Math beginning in 2024-25 school year
The Board of Education approved implementing Integrated Math beginning in the 2024-25 school year. The administrative recommendation comes after a multi-year comprehensive process by the mathematics department to analyze student performance data and research best practices.
The goal is to increase the mathematical thinking and performance of all students. Coming out of the pandemic, H-F has seen a drop in math scores on the SAT including achievement gaps for low-income, Black and Hispanic students. The implementation of integrated math and additional supports included in the plan are aimed at closing those gaps.
Integrated Math takes the topics learned in Algebra, Geometry and Algebra 2 and rearranges them into Math 1, 2 and 3. Integrated Math allows for continuous focus on Algebraic concepts and a spiraled curriculum that includes multiple opportunities to review, reteach, and introduce new concepts earlier than in the traditional curriculum. The timing of topics also better aligns with concepts learned in science courses as well as the mathematical principles tested on the SAT.
In addition to the move to an integrated math curriculum, the plan is to develop and foster effective co-teaching teams, modify math intervention to serve more students in all required math courses, increase rigor by allowing all math students the opportunity to earn honors credit, create a coherent curriculum that aligns with all courses from freshman through senior year and allows for students to move to and from honors and include algebra, geometry, and statistics in all courses of the integrated math sequence.
The 2023-24 school year will be used to prepare for the transition including ongoing professional development for teachers and a full communication plan to assure HF and feeder district parents, students and teachers are well informed. Integrated Math will be phased in with Math 1 in 2024-25, Math 2 in 2025-26 and Math 3 in 2026-27.
This plan does NOT impact classes outside of Algebra, Geometry and Algebra 2. The higher-level math courses will remain in place (for example, Pre-Calculus H/AP, Calculus H/AP, Calculus AB/AP, Calculus BC, AP Statistics, IB Math 1, 2, IB SL Math, and Advanced Math Topics).
