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The Chicago Board of Education has a spotty history for crafting new programs. In the late1990s, it rushed into a high school reconstitution program that chased away good faculty members as well as dismissed presumably bad ones. It wrote its own set of end-of-course exams for high schools, winning praise for some and ridicule for others. It gathered teachers to write daily lesson plans for every core subject at every grade level—a total of 9,360—again getting mixed reviews. By 2003, all three programs had been abandoned.

The School Board's new dropout policy grabbed headlines because of its requirement that students and their parents sign a consent form that spells out the likely consequences of their decision, such as fewer job opportunities and a greater chance of imprisonment.

Last month, the School Board approved tougher standards for school probation that left many schools wondering whether they stood much of a chance of ever escaping this sanction.

The new target is 40 percent of students scoring at or above national norms on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, or meeting or exceeding state standards on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test. However, little-noticed provisions give schools credit for making progress even if they fall short of the target.

When severe health problems forced sophomore Leticia Alvarez to miss too many days at her former school, she dropped out and enrolled in Pedro Albizu Campos, an alternative high school designed to help Puerto Rican youth. Alvarez told Associate Editor Maureen Kelleher that her former school did not seem sympathetic to the health issues that led to her attendance problems. She says schools need to do a better job of connecting with students, to keep them from dropping out.

What happened when you dropped out?

Dada la oportunidad de escoger entre el trabajo independiente durante clases o trabajar en grupos pequeños, la estudiante senior de Von Steuben Maria Proano escogería trabajar en grupo.

"Si no entiendes algo, otra persona en el grupo te puede ayudar," dice Proano, "y puedes escuchar diferentes opiniones sobre un problema."

Los principales de Chicago pronto tendrán que recibir calificaciones de sus propios maestros.

La Unión de Maestros de Chicago (CTU por sus siglas en inglés) ha enviado a 33,000 miembros una encuesta con la intención de medir cuán efectivos como líderes son sus principales. La Unión afirma que los resultados proveerán información crítica a los maestros que estén considerando una transferencia y a los padres que estén en el proceso de escoger una escuela para sus hijos.

1970—Illinois voters approve the current state constitution, which provides that "the state has the primary responsibility for financing the system of public education."

1973—The Illinois Supreme Court determines that the state's "primary responsibility" for school funding doesn't require it to pay for at least half of education expenses. The U.S. Supreme Court also blocks federal suits claiming that disparities among schools violate the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.

TAXES OVERALL

43rd in state taxes as a percent of personal income

34th in state and local tax burden as a percent of personal income

41st in state income tax rates (among 41 states with income taxes)

TAXES FOR SCHOOLS

47th in state share of tax revenue for schools per $1,000 in personal income

10th in local share of tax revenue for schools per $1,000 in personal income

SCHOOL SPENDING

10th in school spending per enrolled student

Individual seating resulted in a much higher engagement level than round table seating, and students were much more engaged when the teacher assigned seats. When students got to select their own seats, engagement dropped—perhaps because they sat near friends and socialized, the authors suggest.

Researchers considered that Hispanics might prefer collaborative work because it allowed them to learn in their native language with other Spanish-speakers. The data did not support that hypothesis.

More hoops for would-be principals Current principals, interim and acting principals with more than six months experience, and recent graduates of approved principal-preparation programs automatically meet the new guidelines. Others on the current eligibility list must submit a portfolio within three months of receiving portfolio packages.

Others who have never established eligibility with the board must:

Pre-register with CPS and pass a background check.

Possess or obtain a Type 75 certificate and a master's degree.