Key Findings

• Students in grades 3-8 in the On-Track category graduated high school at more than twice the rate of students in the Intensive Support category (93 percent vs. 39 percent) and enrolled in college at more than four times the rate of students in the Intensive Support category (72 percent vs. 16 percent).
• Students in the Academic Support category, who came to school regularly yet were still not earning a 3.0 GPA, made up nearly 40 percent of students in the 2018–19 school year.

Tara Vahdani is a Research Assistant at the UChicago Consortium and a graduate student at the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. An aspiring school social worker, she is especially interested in exploring the promise of schools in addressing the non-academic needs of students. Working closely with the Consortium’s Director of Partnerships and Engagement, Tara helps identify and develop opportunities for stakeholder engagement.

After 18 months of virtual learning, Terrence Smith returned to Chicago’s Austin College and Career Academy last year — and was struck by how empty the four-story building felt.

The West Side school lost more than a third of its student body during the pandemic, shrinking to fewer than 160 students, in a campus meant to serve almost 1,900...

Anyone who knows me or has ever heard me speak knows that one of my all-time favorite infographics is the Foundations of Young Adult Success two pager that accompanies the full 2015 report prepared by the UChicago Consortium on School Research.

Chicago students got more failing and incomplete grades during the pandemic, though that increase was much steeper at elementary schools than high schools, a new report out today finds.

But researchers with the University of Chicago’s Consortium on School Research say COVID-era grading data also offers some bright spots — and clues about how to steer recovery dollars to the schools that need them the most...

The titles of J.S. Puller’s first two books intrigued me so much that I immediately checked them out of the library.

It turns out The Lost Things Club is about a young boy who has stopped talking. His family, cousin, and friends are beside themselves. What will help TJ? Surprisingly, a laundromat, the things that are lost in said laundromat, and inventive friends who create a puppet video series about “The Land of Lost Things.” It’s a book based on today’s headlines, offering comfort and hope...

Jackson Overton-Clark is a Research Assistant for the UChicago Consortium. In this role, he supports research efforts for the Equitable Learning & Development Group. Jackson is currently a senior studying public policy and critical race and ethnic studies at the University of Chicago. Jackson's passion toward building equitable learning environment stems from his previous tutoring work with Chicago Youth Programs and the creation of his own documentary.

Chen An is the Managing Director of Statistics and Analysis at the UChicago Consortium on School Research. She provides research and technical support to projects and facilitates the research findings review process. She believes in the power of using rigorous research to drive key decision-making in education to ensure that every student thrives.