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Teacher research
August 10, 2005

The Chicago Foundation for Education sponsors about 10 Chicago teachers each year with $1,000 grants to research a question in their own classrooms.

Here is a sampling of past and current research questions:

What happens when students lead their own discussions? What preparation do students need to be successful in a student-led discussion?

—Nora Flynn, history teacher, Payton High

How do students respond to social justice curriculum in my 1st-2nd grade classroom?

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New schedule benefits learning, but breaks create a logistics 'nightmare'
August 10, 2005
By: Cherise Lopez

A year-round, four-track schedule has some educational benefit, but can also be disruptive to schools and families, a number of principals say.

With the typical four-track schedule, schools eliminate the three-month summer break and replace it with several short vacations throughout the year. At any given time, a quarter of students are on break, which frees up classroom space and allows overcrowded schools to absorb more students, district officials explain.

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Renaissance schools for overcrowding relief?
August 10, 2005
By: Maureen Kelleher

As Chicago Public Schools continues to push its Renaissance 2010 initiative, the district is scrambling to find homes for the new schools. In at least two cases, the district placed Renaissance schools in facilities built to relieve overcrowding.

One case involves the second charter school to be operated by Aspira of Illinois, a nonprofit agency. CPS decided to house the new charter in a brand-new school intended to relieve overcrowding at Haugan Elementary in Albany Park.

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Southwest, Northwest: Two sides of overcrowding
August 10, 2005
By: Maureen Kelleher and John Myers

The Southwest and Northwest sides of town are two examples of the dilemmas the district has faced as it tried to accurately predict shifting enrollment and plan construction in the face of shrinking capital funds.

Ten years ago, four Southwest Side communities—McKinley Park, Gage Park, Chicago Lawn and Brighton Park—were heavily overcrowded. Each neighborhood received higher-than-average capital spending on new schools and additions, and the severity of overcrowding decreased even though enrollment went up.

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Bar raised for principals
August 10, 2005

Last year, CPS announced new requirements for principal candidates, which include:

Compile a portfolio that describes leadership experiences, assesses strengths and weaknesses and demonstrates competence in a variety of school leadership skills.

Complete a program of study designed to address candidate's areas of weakness as identified in the portfolio.

Pass a written exam on district policies and procedures.

Submit a writing sample that meets district standards.

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Educating school leaders
August 10, 2005

Who conducted it: Arthur Levine, president of Columbia University's Teachers College lead the four-year study. This is the first in a series of reports planned by the Education Schools Project, which Levine directs.

What they studied: A representative sample of educational administration programs at 25 colleges of education across the country.

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Where are Englewood High kids going?
August 10, 2005
By: Jeff Kelly Lowenstein

The only new students who will be admitted to Englewood High next year are those headed for its achievement academy, a catch-up program for 8th-graders who scored too low on tests to be promoted to 9th grade, but who are too old to be retained.

Rising 9th-graders in Englewood's attendance area will be eligible to enroll in one of four high schools: Robeson, Dyett, Hyde Park or Hirsch.

All of them are on academic probation; only one, Robeson, is in the same community.

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