Byline: Jamie Sotonoff Daily Herald Staff Writer

Educators from around the country will be in Palatine next week to check out the "Koalaty Kids" teaching approach used in Palatine Township Elementary District 15.

The business-based education initiative, which District 15 adopted six years ago, has boosted student achievement and test scores, Superintendent John Conyers said. It helps students by teaching them to motivate themselves, set their own goals and map their progress.

District 15 is the only school district in the country to implement the Koalaty Kids teaching approach in all of its schools, which is why the American Society for Quality's Koalaty Kid Conference is being held here Saturday through Tuesday.

During the conference, District 15 will be spotlighted as a "quality in education success story" and Conyers will be the keynote speaker.

Two other local school districts that use Koalaty Kids in some of their buildings - Community Unit District 300 and Carol Stream Elementary District 93 - also will be highlighted.

Carol Stream Elementary District 93 will be highlighted during a conference on the "Koalaty Kids" teaching approach next week in Palatine.

The program helps students by teaching them to motivate themselves, set their own goals and map their progress.

District 93 uses Koalaty Kids in some of its buildings. Other local districts that use the program are Carpentersville-based Community Unit District 300 and Palatine Township Elementary District 15.

Close to 500 educators from around the country, as well as a few from Sweden and the Netherlands, will be here to learn about this teaching method and tour local schools using Koalaty Kids, so they can get a glimpse of the system in action.

On Monday, conference attendees will visit Pleasant Hill, Thomas Jefferson and Jane Addams elementary schools as well as Winston Campus and Plum Grove Junior High School.

District 15 administrators were introduced to the Koalaty Kids idea eight years ago after a few teachers attended a conference. …