Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the third largest school district in the nation and serves over 400,000 students, nearly 90% of whom are students of color and 85% from low-income families. Located in a dense urban environment, CPS operates over 650 schools, employs over 40,000 people, and has a budget exceeding $5.5 billion.
The Chicago district operates under the belief that all children must have equitable access to a quality education and is guided by the vision of every student in every neighborhood engaged in a rigorous, well-rounded instructional program and prepared for success in college, career, and life. Despite a large achievement gap in Chicago's student population, CPS has pushed forward many new initiatives that have led to better academic performance and attendance.
Our Impact
More than 140 Education Pioneers have worked in offices across CPS' system, through which they have:
- Defined key school performance metrics for the Far South Side network of 36 schools, developing a performance dashboard for network and school leaders to easily monitor progress and target their school improvement efforts to high-needs areas.
- Supported the roll-out of multiple school turnaround initiatives with the Office of Strategic School Support Services, making sure that CPS' highest-need schools had the support they needed to improve results for their students.
- Analyzed student performance and support data for the Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services, crafting recommendations to improve support for bilingual students with special needs for graduation and beyond.
- Created strategic communications plans, websites, and marketing materials for CPS' new teacher evaluation program, ensuring that stakeholders were prepared for the implementation.
- And more.
