D120 Superintendent’s Letter
August 2023
Sometimes, a little success is exactly the kind of boost one needs to keep moving in the right direction.
In our case, that success is coming at the right time to energize our staff as we prepare to welcome back students to Mundelein High School. Our MHS leadership team recently reviewed our performance on school improvement goals for the 2022-23 school year. We measured data in all aspects of our school, from test scores and attendance to graduation rates.
We met or exceeded our goals in ten out of ten categories (a few data points won’t be confirmed until October).
Some of the goals were directly student-related. For instance, we want to raise the percentage of freshmen on track for graduation up to 92 percent and we reached 92.4 percent. Our overall graduation rate is expected to reach 92 percent when the numbers are confirmed this fall. We also boosted our attendance rate by a full percentage point up to 94.5 percent. Our next goal is 96 percent.
We have specific strategies to continue improving those numbers. Our student support programs include help with executive functioning, connecting students to a Trusted Adult and providing a credit recovery program for students to make up for failed classes during the summer.
We also worked hard getting students involved in activities outside of class. At the end of the last school year, the percentage of students participating in athletics or activities was up to 68 percent. This is particularly important because extracurriculars give students a sense of belonging, a feeling of purpose and help them become better students. On average, those who participate earn better grades.
Every department at school was involved in making our school better. And some of the goals we reached weren’t directly student-related. We took steps to improve our staff diversity, added more substitute teachers and added more structured programs in the Wellness Center.
The good news is that all of these efforts are working in our favor. Last year 80 percent of the students who took advanced placement tests received a passing grade. It was the highest number we’ve seen yet. And, for the first time this fall, the earned honors program will be available for incoming freshmen in Science, Social Studies and English.
Our staff is pleased to see such positive results and eager to build on this success as we welcome your students back to school.
We can’t wait for the new school year to begin.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kevin Myers
Superintendent, District 120