Learn More
For information on Chicago Public Schools (CPS), including selective enrollment schools and the selective enrollment application process, visit the Chicago Public Schools Official Website.
For a brief history of schools and education in Chicago dating back to 1845, explore the Encyclopedia of Chicago: Schools and Education.
Education Reform Resources:
Do you want to learn more about school reform? Here are some resources:
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Titled “A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform,” this landmark 1983 report by the National Commission on Excellence in Education helped spawn the school reform movement.
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This Chicago Magazine timeline of key events in the history of Chicago Public Schools puts school reform in a historical context.
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This study by researchers at the University of Chicago examines three eras of school reform in Chicago Public Schools.
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This article in the Chicago Reader looks at poverty, segregation and the challenges of diversity in Chicago schools.
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Waiting for Superman, a 2010 documentary film on school reform, examined problems in public education (and highlighted charter schools as a solution).
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A FRONTLINE documentary on the reign of Michelle Rhee in Washington, D.C. and education reform in general shows the challenges of attempting massive reform. Also see FRONTLINE’s profile of Michelle Rhee that accompanied the documentary.
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The CPS Five-Year Action Plan (2013-2018) offers “an action roadmap to achieving our vision of a high-quality education for every child in the district.”
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The CPS Five-Year Plan is discussed by a panel of educators, researchers, and union representatives on WYCC’s The Professors.
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This 1980 study by researcher Jean Anyon looked at disparities in resources and educational approaches between poor and wealthy neighborhoods.
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Diane Ravitch, a former education reformer a, authored a critique of privatization as public education policy.
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’63 Boycott, a film by Gordon Quinn of Chicago’s Kartemquin Productions, tells the story of when more than 200,000 Chicagoans marched to protest segregation in the public schools.
