Chicago Public Schools recover from pandemic declines more than other districts, study shows

Chicago Public Schools students’ reading scores are recovering faster since the pandemic than most school districts across the country, according to a new national report. 

The district’s surprising rebound, documented by researchers at Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University and The Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University, also found the state of Illinois led the nation in reading growth between 2022 and 2023 and is one of just four states to return to pre-pandemic achievement levels...

The importance of belonging with Dr. Shanette Porter

There's a difference between feeling like you belong in a space and that that space belongs to you. Dr. Shanette Porter has studied schools that have created that sense of belonging, and found that not only are strictly academic measures improved (test scores, etc), but other benefits come as well. From increased graduation rates, to decreased disciplinary incidents, to increased attendance, schools that focus on creating a sense of belonging do better for the whole child. Dr. Porter joins us to share some of her findings, as well as a powerful definition of belonging...

Jinqing Xu

Jinqing Xu (Jean) utilizes strong data manipulation, quantitative research, programming, and writing skills to provide ongoing support across Consortium studies, including the English Learner and Teach Chicago projects. She serves as a key member of a team of Consortium researchers, offering data and analytic assistance throughout the project lifecycle. This includes cleaning and documenting data sources, creating large-scale databases, and applying various statistical approaches and causal designs.

SAT, ACT scores more predictive of academic success at Ivy Plus schools than high school grades, new study suggests

A study released this January by research group Opportunity Insights found that standardized test scores — such as SAT and ACT scores — are more predictive of academic success at Ivy Plus colleges than high school grades.

The study — led by Professor and Chair of Economics John Friedman — suggested that ACT and SAT scores “may have more value for admissions processes than previously understood” and comes as the University’s Ad Hoc Committee on Admissions Policies reconsiders Brown’s test-optional admissions, legacy and early decision policies...

Clarice J. Robinson

Clarice is an AM/PhD student at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. Clarice is an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Fellow and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Health Policy Research Scholar (HPRS). Before beginning her PhD, Clarice worked as an educator for five years in various areas, including teaching preschool-aged children in rural Arkansas through Teach for America and teaching English to middle school students in Madrid, Spain.

Grades and Test Scores

Grades and standardized test scores provide information about whether students are prepared for their future goals, but misperceptions and uncertainties can lead people to use them in ways that are counterproductive. This project provides evidence about these measures of student achievement.

Teacher Retention

This study examines the trends in teacher retention in Chicago Public Schools before, during and post-pandemic years. This work will also explore what teacher, students and school characteristics are related to teacher retention.

Teach Chicago

To address the teacher shortage, CPS developed Teach Chicago, a collection of targeted strategies to develop, recruit, and retain teachers in high-need schools. The Consortium is leading a two-year, mixed method study of these strategies, their efficacy, and the conditions that support successful implementation.

Q&A: Grades & Test Scores

Key Takeaways

  • If we look at the overall population of college-going students, students’ course grades are consistently the strongest indicators of students’ general academic preparation.
    • If you were just going to focus on one for assessing academic readiness, grades provide the most comprehensive information. Tests like the SAT and ACT provide some additional information.
  • Some studies may find different conclusions, often because they’re looking at a restricted sample (e.g.
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