This agenda serves three purposes:
1. It provides substantive direction and an organizing framework for future work of the UChicago Consortium. The agenda is a living document that will continue to be refined and updated.
2. It guides future activities and projects of member organizations, including universities, advocacy groups, the North Central Regional Education Laboratory, the Illinois State Board of Education, and the Department of Research, Evaluation, and Planning at the Chicago Public Schools.
3. It is a document for broad community discussion. Its contents can help to clarify the next steps in school improvement and to shape public awareness of how school reform should be judged. Over time, the reporting and discussion of results based on this agenda will enhance the conversations about school reform and contribute to educational improvement in the city.
The UChicago Consortium's five-year research agenda identifies four topical areas for further research: school governance, teaching and learning, the quality of the school as an organization, and systemic change.
