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...

Key Findings

Quantitative:

Alissa Matthies is the Operations and Project Management Specialist at the UChicago Consortium on School Research.  She supports research activities across the UChicago Consortium through designing and maintaining core operational practices and developing resources for the team.

Omeca Wadley joined the Consortium as Special Assistant to the Executive Director. She has supported UChicago leadership in University Communications, the Office of Research and National Laboratories, and Arts + Public Life. She is a seasoned administrative professional with over 15 years of experience in areas of Real Estate, Healthcare, Development and Education.

Marc Sims talks with Elaine Allensworth PhD about improving public education. Elaine Allensworth is the Lewis-Sebring Director of The University of Chicago Consortium on School Research...

After months of deliberation and negotiation with Congress, President Biden unveiled the Build Back Better Framework on October 28, 2021. This framework encapsulates tangible legislative actions to see through many of President Biden’s campaign promises, like the proposal to implement universal pre–K for all three-and four-year-olds. Previous research has found that universal access to pre–K has a positive impact on students’ academic performance and can also reap longer-term benefits to the U.S. economy.

In a few recent articles I focused on using maps and community area data to build an understanding of how much extra support youth in different areas need to move safely through high school, post high school education, then into jobs and careers...

Even as more Chicago students go to college, the neighborhood where they live — not just the high school they attend — has a major impact on whether they ultimately attain a degree. New research from the University of Chicago’s To&Through Project shows that community areas have a significant impact on educational attainment outcomes — findings that researchers say underscore the need for deeper investments in housing security, health care access, and transportation to address the barriers facing Chicago students...