catalyst-chicago.org

When CPS closed neighborhood schools in the past, the action rarely resulted in substantial academic improvement in the schools left behind. Today, most of these schools are struggling to hold on to students.

Catalyst Chicago analyzed the current academic performance of neighborhood schools in areas affected by school closings and found that two-thirds of these schools now are at Level 3, the lowest rating possible on the CPS performance scale. Almost 90 percent are considered underutilized by CPS standards.

The sign taped on the door says “No Boys Allowed.” Inside the room, donuts and small, white Styrofoam cups of orange juice and water sit on a desk.

Several young women slowly walk in with a look of consternation on their faces. “It is critical down there,” says one.

“That is crazy,” says another.

Teacher Magen Kilcoyne, whose curly, sandy-colored hair is pulled back and who is dressed in black cargo pants and a black “Bowen Class of 2012” T-shirt, shakes her head as she plops down copies of author Nathan McCall’s book “Makes Me Wanna Holler” on everyone’s desk.

Selective schools and military high schools (which also have selective admissions criteria) have some of the highest pass rates for students of color on Advanced Placement tests. One of those schools is Rickover Naval Academy, housed in the Senn High campus in Edgewater.

In spring 2011, 52 percent of the Latino students at Rickover who took AP classes passed at least one test. In spring 2012, the rate fell to just 35 percent for Latinos, but half the school’s 12 African-American AP students passed an AP exam.