Sometimes a number doesn’t tell the whole story. One statistic can’t paint a portrait — or even produce a snapshot — of a group of people. Though Conrad Fischer Elementary School did not meet state achievement standards two years in a row, a test score does not quantify the hard work of dedicated teachers and students faced with more challenges than others in Elmhurst.

Fischer is a Title I school, meaning that it has a high number of low-income children and receives federal assistance. More than 50 ethnic groups are represented within its walls, and around 19 languages are spoken.People are drawn to the Elmhurst area because they want a quality education for their children. A district in which ISAT achievement is 94.4 percent (versus the state average, 82.1 percent.), should provide such an education no matter where a student lives. To make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)  in District 205 under the No Child Left Behind Act, 92.5 percent of students must pass the ISAT, which Fischer did not. Because Conrad Fischer is a Title I school, students have the option of transferring to Jefferson Elementary School, which made AYP.

There is an F-word that can get you a detention and an F-word that can shake an educational system to its core: failure. Failure punctured the idyllic image of a school district where state standards are hurdles easily cleared.

It is essential that Conrad Fischer not be dismissed because it did not meet the high standard of 92.5 percent. This year, many other schools in the state struggled to meet performance expectations, which were raised in March. From 2012 to 2013, the percentage of public school students who met or exceeded standards fell from 82.1 to 61.9. Standards for elementary education, a critical time of preparation, should be as high as possible. However, a realistic time period should be allowed for schools, teachers and children to adjust.

If students were shunted out of sight when they received a grade below 92.5 percent, the school system would crumble. The world is not split into A’s and F’s. One letter can’t express variables like experiences, opportunities and language barriers. With so many languages spoken at Conrad Fischer, it is natural that kids would struggle more on standardized tests than students who have been reading English since they first thumbed through Dr. Seuss.  Any high schooler who has stumbled through a grammar quiz in foreign language class can attest to the simple fact that it’s hard to be tested in a language you don’t fully understand. Transitional programs for non-English speakers, and resources at Jefferson for the children who transferred, can help all District 205 students succeed.

“All District 205 students” include those at Jefferson. Just because Jefferson made adequate yearly progress does not mean it is a completed task on a checklist. Thirty-two new students made the transition, and the Jefferson community adjusted with them. Teachers rose to the occasion for every child in their classrooms.

“I think the transfer has happened and the students are now Jefferson students,” Jefferson principal Mrs. Fehrenbacher said.

When students anywhere in the district struggle, teachers are at their side devoting time and energy to helping them. When a school struggles, it should receive the same compassionate understanding and aid.