This Learning & Development Group pilot study is a validation of the Catalyze Survey, which measures the school conditions that support educators to engage in equitable and supportive practice, such as Collective Vision, Inclusive Leadership, Effective Systems, and Trust Community. The study assesses the survey's predictive validity for teacher practices and retention.

This Learning & Development Group study is a multidistrict revalidation of the Cultivate Survey Instrument that 1) assesses the causal impacts of schools on students’ learning conditions, learning beliefs, and trajectories, and 2) examines the relationship between school climate (5Essentials Survey) and classroom learning condition measures (Cultivate Survey).

This mixed-methods Learning & Development Group study addresses the racialized narratives and/or deficit assumptions that many students face in mathematics by building knowledge on teaching practices that enhance student experiences, and support positive self-beliefs and learning in math.

In service of systems transformation toward equity at scale, the Learning & Development Group is partnering with district and school support organization partners to advance research and practice on fostering educational environments that 1) center student experience, 2) elevate student voice, and 3) engage students as co-constructors of their learning environments.

COVID-19 created a once-a-century public health crisis that, in turn, created a once-a-century public education crisis. A total of 50 million students nationwide lost the learning equivalent of a half a year of school. The learning losses were even larger—sometimes much larger—among the nation’s most socially and economically disadvantaged children, particularly in low-income communities of color. 

In today’s competitive college admissions landscape, gaining an acceptance to a top-tier college requires more than stellar grades and impressive extracurriculars. It's about the delicate balance between academics, extracurricular activities, and personal development. At the heart of this balancing act lies executive function — the cognitive processes that allow students to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully...

The final, definitive version of this article has been published in Phi Delta Kappan, 105(6), March 2024 by Phi Delta Kappa International. All rights reserved. © 2024

This two-phase study, co-led by the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Center (IWERC), will first investigate the range of Career and Technical Education Pathways and work-based learning opportunities for middle grades and high school students in CPS. This exploratory work will then inform the focus and design of the second phase, a rigorous causal study.

Meril is a Senior Research Analyst at the UChicago Consortium. Previously, she served as the Robert Curvin Postdoctoral Associate at the Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies, Rutgers University-Newark, where she contributed to freshman on-track projects as part of a research practice partnership with Newark Public Schools. Her research focuses on school organizations, with interests in exploring teacher mindsets, enhancing parent-school relationships, and utilizing use of research evidence to improve student outcomes.

Brenda Macias (she/her) is a Research Analyst II with the UChicago Consortium and To&Through Project. In this role, she supports data and analytics projects and manages data tools. Having attended CPS schools from pre-K through twelfth grade, Brenda has seen firsthand the impact of a strong school community. This experience drives her dedication to creating accessible data tools and analyses for youth, parents, educators, and community members. She aims to empower them to make informed decisions that best support their schools.