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The Four Years Fallacy
Four-Year vs. Six-Year Bachelor’s Degree Completion Rates
The Educational Attainment of Chicago Public Schools Students
2022
Lasting Differences
Math Grades and Gender
Investing in Adolescents
High School Climate and Organizational Context Shape Student Development and Educational Attainment
Exploring Chicago Connected
Participation Patterns

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

Freshman OnTrack

Freshmen are considered on track to graduate high school if they have enough credits to be promoted to tenth grade and have earned no more than one semester F in a core course.  Consortium research has shown that students who end their ninth-grade year on track are almost four times more likely to graduate from high school than those who are off track.

In 2007, in response to this research, CPS launched a major effort, centered on keeping more ninth-graders on track to graduation.  Since the Freshman OnTrack metric was adopted, improvements in ninth-grade on-track rates were sustained in tenth and eleventh grade and followed by a large increase in graduation rates.


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?

Equitable Learning and Development

If we applied the best research on how human beings learn and develop, what would classrooms, schools, and districts look like?

Surveys

What tools and data could help school leaders improve their students’ learning gains? What tools could help early childhood education leaders improve their programs and their students’ development?

Connect with Us

Contact us to share your questions or comments, learn more about our team, and sign up for email updates so you don’t miss out when we share our latest findings.