Mokena 159 Principals Report End-of-Year Academic Progress, Focus on Writing

Principals from Mokena School District 159 presented their end-of-year School Improvement Plan (SIP) updates to the Board of Education on Wednesday, highlighting student progress with a particular focus on improving writing proficiency across all grade levels.

Principals Rachel Chorley of Mokena Elementary School, Dave McAtee of Mokena Intermediate School, and Dr. Mike Rolinitis of Mokena Junior High School shared data showing growth toward the district’s academic goals.

At the elementary level, a key goal is to increase writing proficiency as measured by end-of-unit assessment rubrics. The presentation included charts showing year-over-year progress in kindergarten through third grade across different writing styles, such as informative, narrative, and opinion pieces. Another goal focused on implementing “responsive teaching,” a strategy to provide targeted support to students approaching grade-level expectations in English Language Arts.

At Mokena Intermediate School, the focus has been on implementing the “Claim, Evidence, Reasoning” (CER) format to improve writing in both math and ELA. Data showed growth in students’ ability to use the structured response format throughout the 2024-2025 school year.

Dr. Rolinitis reported that Mokena Junior High has extended its writing goal to focus on applying CER as a thought process across all classes. The school is working to refine instruction on gathering evidence, improving transitions, and strengthening mechanics and grammar. The administrative team noted that these focus areas will remain a priority for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year.