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Special Education

Even as CPS opens more new schools, children with special needs have a tougher time finding options. Placements in private therapeutic schools are scarce, and some charters are reluctant to enroll them.

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Sarah Karp and John Myers

Transformation fails to spark improvement in Chicago high schools, say researchers August 20, 2009 By: Sarah Karp and John Myers Former CEO Arne Duncan often said that a key to creating the best urban school district in the country was to improve long-failing high schools. But Duncan’s broadest, most expensive effort, called High School Transformation, sputtered in implementation and has failed to spark significant improvement, according to an evaluation released Thursday. The evaluation blames poor teaching and student absenteeism, among other factors. The report is part of a package of evaluations that also criticize the lack of impact on high schools of two other district initiatives: Renaissance 2010 and AMPS, or Autonomous Management and Performance Schools, which aimed to give higher-performing schools more freedom. The reports are from research institute SRI International and the Consortium on Chicago School Research. The report is not the first sign that the High School Transformation project wasn’t going well. In fact, the district has dropped the name and simply calls the project IDS, for Instructional Development Systems—the package of curriculum materials, professional development and support that were supposed to be the first phase of the transformation project. Read More \| (9) Comments	Union conducting survey on layoffs that could affect schools July 08, 2009 By: Sarah Karp and John Myers The Chicago Teachers Union is scrambling to figure out whether layoffs being made by CEO Ron Huberman are, in fact, poised to affect students—contrary to promises by the administration that classrooms will be protected from cuts. What’s in question are a host of positions in the Office of Specialized Services, including dozens of cuts in clinicians, part-time resource teachers and coaches who work directly with disabled children. Read More \| (4) Comments
Black males suspended, expelled at increasing rate June 22, 2009 By: Sarah Karp and John Myers In Chicago, elementary schools and high schools are suspending and expelling students at alarming rates and African American male students are bearing the brunt of these punishments. A Catalyst Chicago analysis reveals that out-of-school suspensions in Chicago outpaced those in the 10 biggest school districts in the nation. Today, Catalyst launches the series, Reaching Black Boys, that will investigate how black male academic achievement is stunted by disproportionate and often unnecessary disciplinary measures. The series will also explore the complex relationships between African American male students and the teachers, principals and institutions that are charged with educating them. Read More \| (26) Comments	Extra funds for special ed may be used to lower referral rate February 12, 2009 By: Sarah Karp and John Myers Although details are still emerging around the compromise version of the federal stimulus package, Chicago Public Schools CFO Pedro Martinez was able to estimate the district’s increase in special education funding will be around $50 million—about $16 million less than the original bill. Martinez says it’s unclear to what degree the district will be required to use the money to expand services in special education programs or use it, instead, to fill budget gaps in existing programs. Regardless, Martinez says the district will spend at least some money expanding a process called Response to Intervention. RTI forces regular education teachers to document interventions that they have used for students with behavior or academic difficulties before referring them to special education. Read More \| (1) Comments
Duncan's track record December 15, 2008 By: Sarah Karp and John Myers In his seven years as CEO of Chicago Public Schools, Arne Duncan has taken on a host of urban education policy challenges to varying degrees of success. This week, Catalyst revisits some of these signature initiatives, and weighs their significance on the national scene. Today, we look at the efforts of the Secretary of Education designate to transform high schools, offer families more and better school choices and raise the performance bar for teachers, principals and administrators. Reforming high schools Read More \| (4) Comments

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