This mixed-methods study examines the experiences CPS students have in Early College (dual credit and dual enrollment) and Advanced Placement (AP) courses and investigates how they shape their post-secondary outcomes.

This study examines

Key Findings

• Most teachers customized category titles.
• Most teachers used two or three grading category families.
• In sections that used mastery-based and weekly category families, almost of all the final grade was determined by those category families.

With COVID-19 now surging, it’s not surprising that Chicago Public Schools is buying a stockpile of laptops in anticipation of switching to more remote learning classes in January.

The number of cases reported among students and teachers more than tripled before the winter break began, so the district’s decision makes sense. Even so, it’s disheartening to think some students may have to huddle again in front of electronic screens for lessons — a situation that many children struggled mightily with last year...

It was a year of unprecedented hardship for teachers and school leaders. We pored through hundreds of studies to see if we could follow the trail of exactly what happened: The research revealed a complex portrait of a grueling year during which persistent issues of burnout and mental and physical health impacted millions of educators. Meanwhile, many of the old debates continued: Does paper beat digital? Is project-based learning as effective as direct instruction? How do you define what a “good” school is? Other studies grabbed our attention, and in a few cases, made headlines.

Key Findings

High School Graduation

• In 2020, the district’s high school graduation rate continued its yearly rise by 1 percentage point.

• Now at 83 percent, the CPS high school graduation rate has nearly caught up to the national average, which was 86 percent the year prior according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

College Enrollment

School climate surveys are one of the most promising tools we have to create school environments that help students succeed. When we understand where school climate needs improvement, we can address the fundamental conditions that create great schools and help all students succeed. Yet, therein lies the rub. As school climate surveys have gained traction as improvement tools, real challenges exist in using that data to change and improve practice in ways that don’t undermine their credibility.

A West Side Chicago teacher was all smiles as she described her funny and smart six-year-old students, first graders who she said she absolutely “loves, loves, loves.” She takes seriously the task of building a foundation for her students, almost all of them Black and from low-income families, so they compete as they get older.

So when it comes to grades, she focuses on whether they are meeting standards. She gives out few As. Mostly, she gives Cs...