UChicago Consortium on School Research
UChicago Consortium on School Research University of Chicago: Urban Education Institute
Co-Designing New Approaches to School Safety
District and Community Perspectives on Chicago’s Whole School Safety Framework
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Connection, Trust, and Learning
Student Attendance in the Middle and High School Grades Following the COVID-19 Pandemic
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The Educational Attainment of Chicago Public Schools Students
2024
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Using Data to Improve Schools
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Quick Guide: Using 5Essentials Survey reports as a Local School Council (LSC) member
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The UChicago Consortium...

 

Investigates

the progress & challenges of the Chicago Public Schools

 

Identifies

how programs and policies are working

 

Illuminates

what really matters for school & student success

About the UChicago Consortium

Attendance

Students who attend preschool regularly are significantly more likely than chronically-absent preschoolers to be ready for kindergarten and to attend school regularly in later grades. 

There is a relationship between preschool absences and students’ scores on measures of kindergarten readiness in math, letter recognition, and social-emotional development, as well as assessments of second-grade reading fluency.  Preschool absenteeism negatively affects students in kindergarten and early elementary school.  Students who miss more preschool have lower kindergarten readiness scores, and students who are chronically absent in preschool are more likely to be chronically absent in kindergarten and have lower second grade reading scores.


What We’ve Learned


Early Childhood

Does pre-k attendance matter? How can we prepare students to transition from pre-k to kindergarten? What tools could help early childhood education leaders improve their programs and their students’ development?

Elementary & Middle School

What is the best indicator in elementary and middle school that students will be ready for high school? How is attendance related to school performance in the primary grades? How are eighth-graders using the GoCPS system for high school admission?

High School

How can high school educators improve graduation rates, starting in ninth grade?

College & Career

What academic and non-academic factors influence students’ college choices, access, and success?

Teachers & Leaders

How can principals and teachers best improve student learning gains? What do we know about teacher evaluation in Chicago? How have changes to Illinois principal preparation requirements affected education in the state?

District & Policy

How have district policies affected students? What options does CPS offer families, and how might they be evaluated?

Learning & Development Group

If we applied the best research on how human beings learn and develop, what would classrooms, schools, and districts look like? How might we change the narrative and vision for educational equity to include the recognition of the brilliance and potential of every single child?

Surveys

What supports could help educators partner with students to improve their daily experiences of school? What tools and data could help school leaders improve their students’ learning gains?

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