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Adolescent Literacy

A raft of past programs have failed to substantially improve the reading skills of middle grade and high school students. CPS is trying once again, as part of a federal project that aims to help teens learn how to analyze complex non-fiction.

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In Focus

Under-utilized schools continue to shed students: map December 05, 2012 By: Sarah Karp Even as they released the updated list of under-utilized schools, CPS officials stressed that simply having empty space will not be the death knell for schools. Some 330 schools are considered under-utilized by CPS, which calculates its rate based on a figure of 30 students per classroom plus ancillary rooms for art, library and special education students. District leaders refuse to say how many schools will be on the chopping block. Read More \| (10) Comments	Most under-utilized schools in black neighborhoods: map November 29, 2012 By: Sarah Karp CPS officials have said that 140 schools are more than 50 percent underutilized—the benchmark it seems they are looking at for closure. But they have not yet put out the list of schools that are in that category. Spokeswoman Robyn Ziegler says that this year’s utilization rates aren't required to be available until the end of December. The only available information is from last year. Read More \| (6) Comments
Child-parent centers make a comeback November 13, 2012 By: Rebecca Harris Two dozen parents packed a room at Edwards Center for Young Learners as Nadia Miranda, from CPS’ Office of Family and Community Engagement, made her recruiting pitch. As part of a new research study, their children would undergo extra testing. So would teachers, in the form of classroom observations. Parents would be asked to participate in workshops and share their views in phone surveys. In return, the young students would get extra services, smaller classes, and a greater chance at success. “It is a win-win,” Miranda said. Read More \| (0) Comments	Heading back to the classroom November 13, 2012 By: Rebecca Harris Of the two Grow Your Own Teachers candidates Catalyst Chicago profiled earlier this year, just one is headed to the classroom, and a research report released this summer has shed light on how a slow teacher hiring climate may be affecting the program’s graduates. Michael Vargas, one of the teachers featured by Catalyst, landed a job teaching 8th-grade bilingual education at Calmeca Academy. Read More \| (0) Comments
At central office, major turnover but minimal savings September 08, 2012 By: Sarah Karp To pass a balanced budget last year, CPS leaders promised to find $107 million in savings by reorganizing central and area offices. But while the massive reorganization was carried out, only a small number of cuts were made, a Catalyst Chicago analysis of employee rosters has found. Read More \| (18) Comments	Jones and Urban Prep shine as citywide college enrollment rises August 21, 2012 By: Sarah Karp Jones College Prep, a selective enrollment high school ranked No. 1, and Urban Prep, a charter high school for African-American boys, ranked No. 2 in the percentage of 2011 graduates enrolling in college. In previous years, Urban Prep has claimed 100 percent of its grads were admitted to college, only to see official figures for college enrollment from the National Student Clearinghouse come in much lower – 76 percent for 2010. This year is different, with Clearinghouse data yielding 91 percent. Read More \| (21) Comments
With equity at stake, district kicks off arts plan July 16, 2012 By: Sarah Karp Like dozens of other CPS schools, Key Elementary on the West Side has no arts program—no teacher and no partnership with the Joffrey Ballet or the Chicago Symphony Orchestra or any of the other arts institutions that grace Chicago. Though CPS pays for a half-time arts teacher at smaller schools of up to 750 students, Key Principal Margo Giannoulis-King says she couldn’t find a candidate who wanted a half-time job. Instead, she opted to hire a full-time librarian (which the district would pay for). Read More \| (5) Comments	After graduation, new teachers start job hunt June 27, 2012 By: Rebecca Harris Angel Torres worked overtime to complete his student teaching. Torres’ work day began when most people are asleep: At midnight, he started his overnight shift as a senior service technician for People’s Gas, helping the Chicago Fire Department and other public service agencies respond to calls about gas-related fires and explosions. At 8 a.m., when Torres’ shift ended, he headed to Ames Middle School for his student-teaching assignment. Sleep? “Whenever I can, I guess,” Torres said during the school year. Read More \| (10) Comments
Foundation cash boosts education advocacy May 17, 2012 By: Stephen Sawchuk Private foundations are playing a growing role in financing the nonprofit educational wings of several prominent K-12 advocacy groups, according to reviews of the foundations' grant records and annual tax filings. The efforts they underwrite run from the mundane—translating school district materials into Spanish, for instance—to activities deeply intertwined with policy, such as providing information to parents on topics like teacher evaluation and school choice. Read More \| (9) Comments

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