District 207 invited to Join League of Innovative Schools
District 207 was one of 37 districts invited to join the ranks of the League of Innovative Schools for the 2021-2022 school year. The new cohort extends the network’s reach to 125 districts across 34 states and expands its cumulative impact to 3.8 million students served over time. These districts were selected based on the following factors: vision and key achievements; potential for impacting student learning and educational leadership; openness to networking and knowledge sharing; and demonstrated commitment to racial, digital, and educational equity.
District 207 named one of the “Most Innovative School Districts” in U.S.
District 207 was one of 25 school districts in the U.S. in 2018 to be honored as one of the “Most Innovative School Districts” for its unique approaches to expand and support teacher learning and student success both during and after high school.
The award was provided by AASA (The School Superintendents Association) and the Successful Practices Network (SPN). A case study was written by AASA provides in-depth insights into District 207’s innovation in attracting and maintaining high quality educators, creating a unique in the country personalized coaching program for teachers, fostering teacher innovation and risk taking, and personalized learning for students.
All three high schools are Illinois Democracy Schools
Believing that Illinois high school students deserve enhanced opportunities to learn and practice civic engagement, the Illinois Civic Mission Coalition created a process by which high schools affirm their commitment to civic learning by seeking recognition as a Democracy School. High schools are recognized for consciously promoting civic engagement for all students by all teachers. There is an intentional focus on fostering participatory citizenship and placing an emphasis on helping students understand how the fundamental ideals and principles of our democratic society relate to important current problems, opportunities and controversies. Since 2006, just 74 high schools have been recognized.
District 207 first district to partner with Google
In 2007, District 207 reached out to Google and became Google’s first elementary and secondary school district Google Apps for Education partner. Today, as a result of that vision, Google Workspace for Education, the modern version of Google Apps, is used by millions of students and teachers. In District 207, having work available from any Internet-connected device in Google Drive, being able to simultaneously collaborate in Google Workspace for Education, and the accessibility and affordability of Chromebooks continues to change learning on a daily basis for students and teachers.
Google identified 10 high-performing districts from around the world and studied the processes and attributes that have led to their success. District 207 is one of those districts and is featured here on Google’s case studies, which may be found here.
District 207 Selected as National Demonstration Site by AASA
District 207 was informed recently that it has been selected for the AASA’s Learning 2025 Network of demonstration districts. A select few districts across the country are being invited by AASA (The School Superintendents Association) to be a part of this process. AASA invited select districts to apply to be a demonstration district. Only educational systems that exemplify student-centered, equity-focused practices with a solid commitment to the whole learner, anti-marginalization and a future driven outlook are selected as demonstration districts. The goal is for each selected district to become lighthouse learning systems and serve as beacons for other educational systems.