Enhancing the Thornton Township Teaching and Learning Partnership is one of the Board goals for this school year.  TTTLP is an organization comprised of District 205 personnel and representatives from each of our K-8 partner districts. 

 

The purpose of this partnership is to articulate with our partner schools in order to improve student achievement.  Monthly roundtable discussion meetings are attended by principals, superintendents, and district administrators from our partner districts, as well as numerous members of the faculty and administration from District 205.  The major focus for TTTLP this year is how to successfully transition middle school students into the high school setting, while providing opportunities for high school and middle school teachers to collaborate around data.  In order to accomplish this goal, a series of articulation workshops for teachers have been planned.  Workshops conducted by subject area (math, English, science, social studies, and PPS) occur periodically throughout the school year, and allow teachers from our district to sit down with middle school and elementary teachers from their content area in order to discuss curriculum and assessment and the impact of each on student achievement. 

 

Creating opportunities for middle school students to see the high school in action is an ongoing agenda item.  Science, for example, is currently planning the Physics Phestival and recently held the Khemistry Karnival, which will both afford middle-schoolers the opportunity to interact with their high-school peers.  Additionally, District 205 Freshman Academy counselors recently seized the opportunity to visit students at our partner middle schools in order to begin to form connections with the 7th and 8th grade students.