CATALYST CHICAGO :: Independent Reporting on Urban Schools

News & Analysis

News & Analysis Hiring in full swing for turnarounds
A deluge of resumes flood the district. Officials estimate another month to complete staffing of district-run turnarounds. Meanwhile, hiring is all but complete at three schools to be turned around by an outside management group.
News & Analysis District 'adds value' to performance policy
Schools will be judged on students' year-to-year gains. One advocate, however, says parents should have had more input into the new standards.
Cover Stories Not just Chicago anymore A Catalyst Chicago analysis finds that African-American and Latino students in the six-county Chicago metro area lag behind their white classmates, especially in wealthy school districts. Suburban schools are launching academic interventions to close the academic gap, but one expert notes the need to change attitudes as well.
Updates Researchers: ACT ‘not a test you can game’ Schools CEO Arne Duncan last summer sought to temper the news of disappointing ACT scores by talking up the district’s investment in strategic improvements, highlighting some $3.5 million earmarked for test preparation. Later, after the school year began, high school officials say they quietly decided to “repurpose” that money to ramp up the curriculum. A study released by the Consortium on Chicago School Research this week shows test preparation activities, especially those done during class time, do not improve scores on the ACT.

OpinionsLetter From the Editor Catalyst Chicago is changing We at Catalyst have spent much of the past year exploring ways to serve you and, therefore, our city’s children better. Our new vision is an expansive one that is based on what more than 200 people told us in interviews, focus groups and surveys. As we plunge into a new future, we ask you to help us out. Please share your ideas and your reactions to our efforts.
-May, 2008

Letters From Readers Tragedy in Back of the Yards One inspiring young man overcame the odds against him to succeed in school, but was ultimately beaten by them on the street.
-May, 2008

Teens to adults: 'We're anti-violence' Youth organizers say black and Latino high school students have a role to play in efforts to stop shootings.
-May, 2008

In Other News

The District 299 Blog

By Alexander Russo
No Flip-Flops For Obama In NEA Endorsement Acceptance
EIA's Mike Antonucci has the Obama speech to the NEA convention (via satellite). Among other points (and hints at where the good parts on the video are), Antonucci says that Obama "took the bull by the horns" in talking about performance pay and charter schools (here)....
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Class of 2011--a Catalyst Special Report

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Deputy Editor Lorraine Forte hosts the education edition of "City Voices" at 6:30 a.m. the second Sunday of every month on WNUA-FM, 95.5. To listen to previous broadcasts, click here.