Illinois

Joliet Township HSD 204

The mission of Joliet Township High School District 204 in Illinois is “to maximize every student’s potential to positively impact our community and thrive in a global society by providing an equitable, personalized, and rigorous education.” Joliet Central High School is one of two high schools in the district. To advance their postsecondary outcomes and to increase college and career readiness for their students, they partnered with OneGoal.

The Challenge

The instructional leadership team at Joliet Central was roughly three years into the implementation of a comprehensive counseling curriculum. However, a survey revealed almost 30% of students disagreed that their classes gave them useful preparation for what they plan to do in life.

Less than half of Joliet Central students completed the FAFSA, and dual credit enrollment had declined.

The Opportunity

With an expansive, mostly Hispanic population of students from low-income households, closing opportunity gaps at Joliet Central has become the school’s north star. By joining the OneGoal Leadership Network, the counseling team at Joliet Central is charting a path to supporting first-generation students of color to achieve their greatest college and career aspirations after high school.

District Profile

Solutions

Focus Areas

OneGoal has identified seven focus areas related to a district’s postsecondary practices. Each district selects 1-2 areas for improvement during its work with the OneGoal team.

OneGoal Leadership Network Coaches like Michael Allen work with district partners to assess a school or district’s postsecondary readiness. Through consistent one-on-one coaching and analysis, Michael has helped Joliet Central define a path to high-impact improvements tailored to their needs. “He gives us permission to make adjustments to fit our plan for implementing OneGoal for our students and our teachers, and that has been very liberating for us,” said Joliet Central’s Counselor, Amanda Ringfelt.

We tailored our approach by working with the Joliet Central team on identifying two focus areas to prioritize of the seven in our menu of core coaching practices to ensure a strong foundation for success across all areas:

 

Continuous Improvement Cycles
District executes postsecondary improvement cycles with fidelity that lead to practice changes.

 

Aligned Human & Financial Capital
District aligns human and financial capital to postsecondary improvement strategies.

 

“One thing I really like about Michael too are his fresh set of eyes on the things; he has a great perspective. His encouragement always gives us a boost too. So while he’s been such a valuable resource because of his knowledge, he’s also been a cheerleader for us as well too, which, when you’re implementing something like this, you can’t undervalue that aspect.”

Jeffrey Riley
Academies Coordinator
Joliet Central High School

Outcomes

“As we expand these types of initiatives like OneGoal, the question of how we support our staff in feeling comfortable is central. I don't think you'd ever find a teacher who would say I don't think that I play a role in helping students get ready for postsecondary success, but then they're going to need support and training because it's still a difficult process for people to navigate, and it is constantly changing.”

Jeffrey Riley

Academies Coordinator
Joliet Central High School

Continuous Improvement Cycles Results

Eighty-two percent of Joliet Central’s freshmen are on track for graduation (an increase since the 21-22 school year), and the graduation rate increased by 5% in 2022. All school counselors are participating in professional learning communities centered on supporting students with developing college and career action plans.

Aligned Human & Financial Capital Results

The district recently added a College and Career Specialist position for each campus who will organize, maintain, and operate the College & Career Center. The center will provide a wide variety of career and college information and materials, through the implementation of strategies aligned to the Illinois PaCE Framework and American School Counselor Association beliefs and mindsets.

Looking Ahead

In addition to their work with Michael and the OneGoal Leadership Network, the district has adopted the OneGoal curriculum into their advisory model, with 100 students participating in postsecondary advising and support three days per week. The district is taking a pilot approach to test the curriculum and evaluate outcomes in college and career readiness, by surveying students, teachers, and staff.

Expert Postsecondary Advising, Enrollment + Persistence, Progressive Pathways, Equity, Systems-Level Change

Let’s Connect

Get more information about what OneGoal could mean for your community: