Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Forrest Claypool and Chief Education Officer (CEdO) Dr. Janice K. Jackson on Tuesday announced recommendations made by the High School Quality Working Group, a collection of education experts and community leaders who assembled recommendations to support the District in ensuring there is a quality high school within three miles of every home in Chicago. The High School Quality Working Group was formed in August 2015 by CEO Claypool and CEdO Jackson, and the group met throughout the summer and fall to develop recommendations designed to improve high school quality throughout the District. After analyzing the key challenges facing CPS high schools, the working group developed the following recommendations to improve school quality:

Engage Communities and Stakeholders

To ensure that new initiatives and existing supports are as successful as possible, the Working Group strongly recommended that the District continuously and authentically engage communities and stakeholders. The Working Group determined that proactively engaging the community, seeking and considering input on important discussions and allowing for sustained involvement by stakeholders are key to the long-term success of CPS high schools.

Explore launching a single application for the incoming class of School Year 2017-2018

To streamline the high school application process and greatly expand awareness of potential high school options, the Working Group recommended the implementation of a single high school application that would apply to all District and charter schools. Through this system, which the Working Group recommended implementing for the incoming class of School Year 2017-18, students would complete one application, which would be used to apply for any school in the CPS system.

Develop a Strategy for Under-Enrolled High Schools

To strengthen the academic experience of all high school students, the Working Group recommended developing a strategy to address underutilized schools. As part of this process, the Working Group encouraged CPS to analyze the enrollment challenges at individual schools and work with a coalition of stakeholders to develop solutions to under-enrollment.

The full report from the Working Group is available at www.cps.edu/hswg_042016. Some of the Working Group’s members include: Jesse Ruiz, Chicago Park District Board President – Co-Chair; Robin Steans, Steans Family Foundation Trustee – Co-Chair; Mary Ellen Caron, After School Matters; Alan Mather, Chicago Public Schools; Claudia Morales, Curie Metropolitan High School; and Juan Carlos Ocon, Benito Juarez Community Academy.