The Chicago Public Schools will receive $50 million in federal money, enough to double the number of city schools undergoing changes as part of an ambitious turnaround program that often results in the ouster of principals and teachers and curriculum changes in the city’s poorest-performing high schools.
The Chicago News Cooperative has learned that eight high schools on the South and West Sides of the city will see changes in the coming years with the help of federal School Improvement Grants. Under the competitive grant program launched two years ago by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, the failing schools—commonly called turnarounds—are essentially overhauled, with the staff and instructional changes aimed at raising student achievement.
For the first time, a charter school will be included on the list of turnaround projects: North Lawndale College Prep on the city’s West Side.
Last year, CPS received $25 million over three years to turn around four schools—Wendell Phillips Academy High School, John Marshall Metropolitan High School, W.R. Harper High School and Christian Fenger Academy High School. This year, eight additional schools, including one charter school, each will receive roughly $6 million over the next three years.
The state Board of Education is expected to announce Wednesday that they will add three schools on the West Side: Kelvyn Park High School, Wells Community Academy High School and North Lawndale College Prep Charter. The list also includes five schools from the South Side: Percy L. Julian High School, Benito Juarez Community Academy High School, Hancock High School, Richards Career Academy High School and Tilden Career Community Academy High School. North Lawndale College Prep has two different campuses and state data did not indicate if one or both would be targeted for transformation.
These eight schools will use the “transformation” model, as opposed to the “turnaround” model, in which existing school staff works with an outside group to implement changes to the curriculum and culture of the school. The transformation model does not typically lead to significant staffing changes.*
During his time running CPS, Duncan presided over several school closings and subsequent turnarounds, making Chicago one of the first major cities in the country to target failing schools for turnaround.
Since being appointed Secretary of Education by President Obama, in a press conference held at one of the city’s turnaround schools, Duncan has pushed turnaround efforts to the center of his agenda. He allocated $3.5 billion in federal money to school turnaround programs shortly after taking office.
Schools are targeted for turnarounds based on persistently low academic achievement, high-populations of low-income students, and graduation rates less than 60 percent over multiple years.
Seven of the eight schools newly targeted for turnaround have been on academic probation for the past several years, according to district data. Charter schools are not included in the district’s probation data.
On Tuesday, CPS Chief Education Officer Noemi Donoso said she is encouraged by the new federal money and pointed to a nearly 10 percent jump in the number of students meeting state standards on state tests at the elementary level as evidence of the district’s ability to turn around performance at targeted schools.
Chicago Teachers Union spokeswoman Liz Brown said union officials are not concerned about possible layoffs at the turnaround schools.
“This grant provides new funds and support that can help new and experienced teachers continue to provide an excellent education for Chicago’s children,” said Jackson Potter, CTU staff coordinator, in a statement. “The CTU will work with CPS to make sure that all of the money is used effectively and reaches the children in the classroom.”
The long-term success of turnaround schools is difficult to predict because the program has a short track record. Initial success at some of the city’s targeted schools, such as Marshall High School, have received national attention.
*Correction: The original version of this article incorrectly stated the schools listed would face “turnaround” when in fact they will face “transformation,” a milder form of a turnaround that typically does not require an overhaul of the school staff.
If a charter school/campus has “persistently low academic achievement, …and graduation rates less than 60 percent over multiple years,” charters are not THE answer as they seem to be touted. In fact, charters have operational advantages over other CPS schools. They should not be receiving this money.
Hear, hear.
Dunbar High School has been failing for 20 years and are a public nuisance to the homeowners in our community. Practically all of the students come from the far southside, operate at the sixth grade level and the average days absent is 55. We need high quality options for our children in order to stop the brain drain of our top students to highly selective schools on the north and west sides of town. We have been victimized enough by Dunbar students. Why has Dunbar been allowed to continue so log as a failing school. They can fail in their own neighborhood! You do not need to travel across town to fail. These students really need to stay in their own neighborhood to cut down on travel and get the tutoring help that is needed.