In a 1997 effort to stem the “brain drain” of talented 8th-graders leaving the Chicago Public Schools, CEO Paul Vallas tapped 14 neighborhood high schools to join the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), a Swiss-based foundation working with schools to offer challenging curriculum that can lead to an internationally-recognized diploma and advanced standing for college students. Vallas also expanded the district’s Advanced Placement course offerings. Together, the new options for high-achievers in neighborhood high schools cost about $5 million. “They’re not budget busters, and they really help schools move along much faster,” said Vallas.
Previously, Lincoln Park High School had long been home to a highly-selective IB diploma program. Entering students outscored 90 percent or more of their peers on standardized tests, and many came from college-educated families. The new IB programs, by contrast, set their admissions bars lower, though still above average, and drew large numbers of low-income students with the potential to be the first in their families to attend college...