Freshman schooled on need to attend

A 90 percent on a test can mean a pat on the back and an A. But attending school only 90 percent of the time in the first semester of high school means you may not graduate, according to a new study on graduation rates in the Chicago Public Schools system.

First-semester attendance and grades in the 9th grade are the best indicators of future success in high school, according to a report by the Consortium on Chicago School Research unveiled at an orientation Tuesday for incoming freshmen at Kenwood Academy in Hyde Park...