With Chicago Public Schools (CPS)’ freshman on track rate to graduate rising to 82 percent and City Colleges of Chicago’s (CCC) graduation rate steadily increasing, Mayor Emanuel, CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett, and City Colleges Chancellor Cheryl Hyman are continuing to make strategic investments to expand quality learning opportunities for students that will prepare them for college and a career. Starting in school year 2014-2015 (SY 14-15), 3,100 CPS students will be able to enroll in free college-level courses at City Colleges. This expansion would bring the total number of CPS students enrolling in college courses to 4,100, exceeding the Mayor’s goal of 4,000 students having access to college-level classes by SY 15-16.

In 2011, there were 300 seats available for CPS students to participate in the Dual Enrollment program, which allowed qualified high school students to take college courses at any of the seven City Colleges of Chicago, free of charge, and earn credit that can be applied to a degree program at one of the City Colleges of Chicago or transferred to a four-year college or university upon graduation.

The Dual Credit program, where students enroll in college-level courses taught by qualified CPS teachers on high school campuses will serve 1,000 students next school year. Dual Credit courses are expected to be available at 38 CPS high schools next school year, up from just five in the program’s initial year. The City, CPS, and CCC are currently working on a growth strategy to meet the District’s enrollment goal, adding dual credit coursework at currently under-represented CPS schools and possibly raising caps on dual enrollment seats at the most in-demand CCC campuses.