Winter 2010/2011 by Chicago International Charter School

A Chicago International Charter School Publication

Respected. Refined. Realized.

VOL. 04 NUM. 1 WINTER 2010/2011

Reform During a Recession The Importance of Teacher Appreciation How Decreased Funding May Change Education as We Know It CICS Longwood and CICS Avalon Show How a Little Ingenuity Goes a Long Way CICS Larry Hawkins Campus Opens, Providing a K-12 Continuum in Altgeld Gardens

w w w.c h i c a g o i n t l .o r g

openingthoughts Friends of Chicago International, Now is a difficult time to be operating a business in the United States. Almost every municipality across the U.S. is facing some sort of budgetary crisis. Declining revenues, out-of-control spending, unrealistic contractual obligations, and ever-mounting unfunded pension liabilities are a few of the realities adding to the economic and personal uncertainty that most Americans feel today. Corporations have the ability to react quickly in economic downturns. They can lay off employees, limit pay raises, decrease dividends, and the like. Corporations also have defined contribution (IRA) plans, unlike municipalities that are saddled with very costly defined benefit plans. Unfortunately, it is quite difficult for municipalities to react quickly in economic downturns—especially one that is this severe.

Craig Henderson Founding Board Member Chicago International Charter School

As you know, the current budgetary crisis is taking a huge toll on the American educational system. For example, this year at Chicago International, our per-pupil funding was cut by 5 percent—this on top of “all-in” funding that is already considerably less than the amount Chicago Public Schools spends on students in traditional district schools. Additionally, afterschool and out-of-school funding has been severely limited. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, Chicago International Campuses received 67 percent less funding for after-school programming than they received in FY 2008. For example: this year the CICS Longwood Campus, which serves 1,460 students, received $25,000 in after-school funding. That amounts to $17.12 per student per year to keep kids on-site, safe, and engaged between the hours of 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM. As you’ll see in this issue of FocalPoint, offering a high-quality college preparatory education in the midst of this crisis is quite a big challenge. The board and staff of Chicago International are working hard to preserve our high educational standards and outcomes. We are working together with our school management partners to ensure that teachers and staff, our most important assets, are provided for as best as possible.

We invite our readers to create a dialogue with CICS. Please share your comments and stories with us. We may feature your comments in our next edition of FocalPoint. Thank you. Chicago International Charter School p (312) 651-5000 f (312) 651-5001 e focalpoint@chicagointl.org (see opposing page for mailing address)

Correction Notice: In FocalPoint Vol. 3, No. 2, an organization called “Juvenile Protective Association” was incorrectly referred to as “Juvenile Protection Association.” We regret the error.

What inspires the Chicago International Board members is the amazing commitment and teamwork of our network-wide CICS team. As you flip through these pages, you’ll notice that when times get tough, our teachers, administrators, parents, and students become more determined to succeed. We are all focused on providing rigorous instruction, engaging content, and character-building experiences for Chicago International’s young learners. Despite the challenges, Chicago International continues to grow. We are growing our network—from two schools in 1997 to 15 schools in 2011. We are growing our reach, having just opened our first school outside of Chicago—CICS Patriots in Rockford. And we are growing our reputation, both locally and nationally, as a high-quality network operator. We are hopeful that this will encourage enhanced private support through fundraising, therefore helping us to defray our own budgetary crisis. Rest assured that the Chicago International board and staff will continue to deliver on our promise to provide a high-quality, college-preparatory education to today’s students, thus creating lasting change in the communities we serve. We must for the sake of the children and families across our network.

Sincerely,

Craig Henderson, Founding Board Member 02

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contents

VOL. 04 NUM. 1 | WINTER 2010/2011

features 08 Let Me Count the Ways

The importance of teacher appreciation in data-driven schools.

14 Budget Cuts— A Catalyst for Reform? How shrinking budgets have forced

efficiency and prompted innovation in public schools across the country.

18 Coping in the Classroom How the front lines are fighting to meet

students’ needs from CICS Longwood to CICS Avalon and beyond.

departments

02 Opening Thoughts

22 24

FocalPoint MAGAZINE A Chicago International Charter School Publication 11 East Adams Street, Suite 600 Chicago, IL 60603 www.chicagointl.org

CONTRIBUTORS Craig Henderson, Collin Hitt, Daniel Anello, Dr. Elizabeth D. Purvis, Kate Floyd, Kenneth K. Wong, Francis X. Shen, Mark Nagode, Michael Cotter, Christine Poindexter, Tom McGrath

View Point

Policy Report

Campus Profile: Larry Hawkins

2010 Annual Report

Research Brief

Commitment to College

DESIGN MORRIS, Inc. w ww.morrisbranding.com PRINT Haapanen Brothers www.haapanenbrothers.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Tommy Giglio www.tommygiglio.com

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ViewPoint

In order to provide a high-quality education, what can you NOT afford to cut? Compiled by: Mark Nagode

“We have three primary objectives: driving student achievement; providing high-quality professional development and coaching for our teachers; and maintaining safe, rigorous learning environments to prepare our students for post-secondary success. Regardless of the cuts, we will continue to invest in these three critical areas.”

“The CICS Basil campus has fully utilized many academic and social supports which have greatly increased academic achievement. As a result of funding cuts, CICS Basil will continue to seek external partnerships and funding to provide essential out-of-school programming to our students.”

Simon Hess

Chenita Hardy

CEO of Civitas Schools

Director of CICS Basil

“I think it is crucial that we maintain level funding in general, and more “We believe that the arts are a critical component of a student’s education…all children should have opportunities to view, analyze, specifically, that we maintain discretionary funding that allows for school-based decision making. When hard choices have to be made, and create artwork. Unfortunately, in these troubled financial times, funding for arts programming for financially disadvantaged children I think school leaders are in the best position to know what to do.” is often scaled back, and in some cases, cut entirely.”

Sylvia Ewing

Deputy Director of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS)

Julie MacCarthy Director of Marketing for Art Resources in Teaching

“As counselors and teachers working with large populations of economically disadvantaged, first generation college-bound students, we represent their social capital. We are the bridge that links them to the vast array of post-secondary and career options available to help them make educated, informed decisions regarding their futures. We cannot afford to lose funding that limits our ability to do this.”

Dr. Carmen Purham CICS Longwood High School Guidance Director

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“Our priority is to keep high the morale and retention rates of our teachers. We have more children in the classrooms and we need more assistance to provide the best academic environment.”

David Cronan Director of Human Resources for Victory Education Partners

PolicyReport

Putting a Price on Education What future funding cuts could mean for Illinois public schools by Collin Hitt

As charter schools face budget cuts, they should remind policymakers that the promise was never that charter schools can always perform well at any funding level, but simply that they can produce better results for less money than Illinois has typically spent.

Charter schools were stunned in early 2010 when Chicago Public Schools CEO Ron Huberman predicted a 19 percent cut to their funding. Once the districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget neared final form, cuts were not nearly so deep, but still significant, coming in at around 5 percent.

more than $72 billion in debt, three times the amount that Illinois spends on K-12 education annually.

A new reality is sinking in for all public schools across Illinois: charter schools and district-run schools alike. Substantial increases in funding are highly unlikely. In fact, a decrease in funding might be inevitable. Past debts at the state and local levels will likely consume any new tax revenue, whether that revenue comes as a result of a rebounding economy or tax hikes. A recent report from the Manhattan Institute estimates that Illinoisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; teacher pension systems alone are

One can understand the need to decrease public school funding writ large, but charter schools have good reason to demand that their funding be left alone. Charter schools already receive less money than traditional public schools while by-and-large producing superior results.

If cuts across the system are made, there will be a push to target charter school funding as well.

A 2010 report from Ball State University examined charter school funding stateby-state. It showed that Illinois charter

schools receive $1,500 less per pupil than district-run public schools, on average. This is part of a long-term and widespread trend in which charter schools are made to survive on fewer dollars. Despite that fact, charter schools in Illinois have raised the bar academically, since their inception. Virtually every high-quality, independent research study of charter schools in Illinois finds that, on balance, they outperform other public schools serving similar student populations. When charter schools were first envisioned, an ambitious promise was made by some: charter schools can educate kids better at a lower cost than that of district-run schools. The research shows that charter schools in Illinois have FocalPoint

PolicyReport

lived up to that promise. However, as charter schools face budget cuts, they should remind policymakers that the promise was never that charter schools can always perform well at any funding level, but simply that they can produce better results for less money than Illinois has typically spent. Charter schools first began opening in large numbers in Illinois in 2000. That year, per-pupil education funding had reached a record high. It was easy then to see how charter schools could get by on less funding. And since that time, Illinois school funding has remained at that high level, and even increased slightly to its current level of more than $12,000 per child. But Illinois taxpayers can no longer afford to sustain record government spending while also paying down government debts. Tough choices for education funding will need to be made. Instead of urging cuts to every single school, state lawmakers 06

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should look to bring system-wide spending closer to what charter schools currently receive. According to the Ball State report, district-run schools in Illinois receive $12,130 per pupil, while charter schools get $10,616. Charter schools have shown that Illinois students can learn more when their schools take innovative approaches to schooling, teaching, and administration.

Truthfully, spending less on charter school students as a rule has never made much sense. Nor has spending money system-wide at an unaffordable level. Public school students should receive equal backing from districts and state governments, and government needs to pay down its debts. Charter schools in Illinois have found success while spending $1,500 less per

Charter schools have shown that Illinois students can learn more when their schools take innovative approaches to schooling, teaching and administration. It would make little sense to punish them for that success. As lawmakers look to bring spending under control, they should look to simply bring all public school spending in line with charter schools.

pupil than district-run schools. District-run schools that are willing and able to be innovative can do the same. And in case there is a question of whether an entire school system can improve

UPDATE: Aaron Eldridge Admitted to CICS Wrightwood

Per-Pupil Funding District-run Schools in Illinois Receive Charter Schools such as CICS Receive Difference in Pupil Compensation

$12,130 $10,616 $1,514

results while spending less money, they need only look to Florida. A new Illinois Policy Institute report shows that schools in the Sunshine State are making far more progress than Illinois schools, using many of the innovations that are common to charter schools, while spending $1,500 less per child than Illinois. Collin Hitt is director of education policy at the Illinois Policy Institute.

Aaron Eldridge, featured in FocalPoint Vol. 03 Num. 1, “The Waiting is the Hardest Part” by Hilary Masel Oswald, has finally been admitted into the CICS network. After four years of being on the waitlist, Aaron’s name was selected in the lottery.

Excerpt from article: Focal Point: “Are you frustrated at being waitlisted for three years now?”

He can be reached at collin@illinoispolicy.org

Aaron Eldridge, Sr: “Yes, I was really frustrated this year. I wrote a letter [to Chicago International’s main office]. I mean, at some point, doesn’t our name start to look familiar? I know the lottery is random, but we keep getting our hopes up and then getting the letters that say Aaron is on the [waiting list] again.”

From everyone at CICS, congratulations to Aaron and the Eldridge family. FocalPoint

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LetMeCounttheWays

The importance of teacher appreciation in data-driven schools

by Kate Floyd | photos by Tommy Giglio

On an ordinary Tuesday morning at CICS Irving Park, CICS Wrightwood, and CICS Washington Park, the Chicago International Charter School environments were humming alongâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but three deserving teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; days were moments away from moving from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

shawnee newsome, cics washington park director

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LetMeCounttheWays TOP left: david lewis, cics wrightwood director bOTTOM: staff participating in “A Day made better” award presentation to anna lam, cics irving park

to their classrooms, heaps of praise, and nearly $1,500 worth of classroom supplies. The initiative also allows school administrators to properly acknowledge the hard work being done by their top teachers. After Ms. Lam had received her gifts and successfully returned her class’s attention to their reading lesson, her already buoyant spirit seemed revived and energized, to which Janet Heiman, the Associate Director at CICS Irving Park, said, “It’s not the material things that make today special. It’s the fact that we get to recognize Ms. Lam’s work and give her the appreciation she deserves.”

At 9:59 a.m., just east of South Michigan Avenue in Woodlawn, 2nd grade teacher Tiffany Harper was making her way to an appointment with CICS Washington Park Director, Shawnee Newsome. To the southwest, in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood on South California Ave.,

teacher’s classroom with an emphatic and thunderous “congratulations!” At each campus, the teams presented the winning teacher with a huge box full of resources from Post-its to a camera and printer, wheeled in a brand new ergonomic office chair, and handed out individual gift

“Being a teacher can be physically and emotionally draining—we work long hours and we put our hearts and souls into it.” Daniel Goodwin was preparing his 7th graders for the day ahead. Further north, near the corner of North Spaulding Avenue and West Grace Street, Anna Lam had just started a reading lesson with her CICS Irving Park 2nd graders. When the clock struck 10, representatives from OfficeMax, excited school administrators, and the friends and family members of Ms. Harper, Mr. Goodwin, and Ms. Lam swung open the doors of each 10

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bags to each of the students. The next 20 minutes were filled with tears, stories, and gratitude. Tuesday’s celebrations were made possible by an initiative called “A Day Made Better,” a national project co-sponsored by Adopt-A-Classroom and OfficeMax. Each year, through an online nomination process completed by school principals, “A Day Made Better” allows thousands of teachers across the country to receive a surprise visit

Lam, who is in her 6th year of teaching, notes that receiving such encouragement helps to sustain her through the job’s tougher moments. “Being a teacher can be physically and emotionally draining—we work long hours and we put our hearts and souls into it. Still, I believe in a very positive classroom environment and feel rewarded when my efforts help my students work hard and succeed.”

No Small Feat

Teachers in urban charter schools have an incredibly challenging job to do. As the public holds charter schools accountable for their promise to help fix what is broken in the education system, charter school teachers’ performance is under the microscope. Day in and day out, they are expected to navigate their students’ social-emotional issues, keep their classroom focused, employ different instruction methods to engage individual learners, cover their curriculum, and prepare students for high-stakes tests. If it’s their first year teaching, they have a particularly rowdy group of students on the roster, or the school culture is in a state of flux, the obstacles are even more plentiful and difficult to overcome. This puts the pressure on charter school administrators to make job satisfaction a priority for their staff, at a time when shrinking budgets prevent them from being able to offer teachers bonuses or raises

LetMeCounttheWays

to show their gratitude. Short of financial rewards, school principals are exploring a wide array of teacher recognition methods to ensure that their staff feels respected, supported, challenged, and acknowledged. While there is no single panacea, as individuals vary in their needs and motivations, there are a number of methods that can make a difference.

“What do you need to be successful?”

The first time his mentor asked him what he needed to be a successful teacher, David Lewis was speechless. An elementary school teacher at a neighborhood school at the time, Lewis, who is now the CICS Wrightwood Director, realized no one had bothered to ask him that question before. “It made me reflect, it was tough to answer but it was very effective.” Now he asks his teachers that same question, to instill in them the ability to dig deep, identify the steps they need to take as educators, and determine what they must ask of others to achieve their goals.

accolades each week and features the Kudos recipients in a weekly newsletter. “It may sound a little cheesy, but it’s a small gesture to say ‘I acknowledge you, I’ve seen what you’re doing, I appreciate what you’re doing, I know it’s hard work,’” says Lewis. Newsome’s team shares gratitude in a variety of ways. “We ask teachers to give each other shout-outs and nominate each other for the gestures they make over the course of the week. They can anonymously nominate a colleague to thank them for helping to plan an event or model a lesson. The nominees receive $5 gift cards or a mug with hot cocoa or tea,” shares Newsome.

Newsome also offers tangible encouragement on note cards and Post-its, offsetting the pressure that comes with working in a data-driven environment by pointing out the positive things she has observed. “We operate in such an evaluative network; it’s important everyone knows we’re there to applaud their effort.”

Food for Thought

Supportive leaders and regular accolades play a key role in teachers’ job satisfaction, but without meaningful professional development and advancement opportunities, an educator’s job can start to feel stale.

“We operate in such an evaluative network; it’s important everyone knows we’re there to applaud their effort.”

Shawnee Newsome, the Director of CICS Washington Park, also uses her teaching background to guide her. She taught at a single school for eight years, and was disappointed when her efforts were not rewarded with a sense of appreciation. “That experience left me with a desire to do better for those around me as a director. Any decisions our teachers need to make to support themselves personally and professionally, I am behind them.”

Kudos and Shout-Outs Ms. Newsome and Mr. Lewis both discussed the importance of tangible rewards—for example, Lewis hands out Kudos bars to teachers deserving of

officemax award recipients Clockwise from left: Daniel Goodwin, cICS wrightwood Anna Lam, cics irving park tiffany harper, CICS washington park

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LetMeCounttheWays

Director Amy Torres fosters an environment of continuous learning at the CICS Irving Park campus and sees the teachers as part of a professional learning community. “The teachers feel very comfortable observing each other; they trust each other and share best practices with each other so they can all be successful,” says Torres. One example of the teachers’ collaborative culture: over the course of the school year, teachers create individual student profiles comprised of notes on each student’s academic and behavioral

performance. In June, they share the profiles with teachers who teach the grade above them, so by August all teachers are familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of their incoming learners. With respect to advancement, Newsome and Lewis emphasize the need for their staff to have professional options. “Developing leadership skills can work out in different ways. As a teacher, you can move up and become a peer mentor or team leader,” says Newsome. Ultimately,

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” —William Arthur Ward

TOP left: anna lam, officemax award winner, and cics irving park parent below: CICS WASHINGTON PARK STUDENT

Newsome’s priority is “to build our teachers’ capacities and help them grow.” When Lewis speaks with teachers about their professional goals, he tries to find the best fit for each teacher’s passions. “I ask them, ‘Do you want to be out of the classroom, do you want to move to another grade level, how do you want to challenge yourself?’”

Making the Grade

The number-one motivator for most teachers is a job well done. But for some educators, their students’ performance is more of an intrinsic motivation than an extrinsic one. Torres shared one such story: “At CICS Irving Park, we share our data very publicly, but although we want a sense of healthy competition here, we also wanted to make sure we weren’t marginalizing anyone in the process.” In earlier years, before the start of each school year, her teachers would gather and publicly view each teacher’s name and the percentage of that teacher’s students who met their goals. But they changed their tune when “an anonymous survey that we conduct indicated that for some teachers, seeing their scores up in public made them lose motivation.” As a result, she says, “This year we publicly shared the grade level average, but you don’t see the individual teachers’ results. We reserve that for grade level meetings where we share with teachers their peer data so it’s more intimate, less threatening.” When students hit it out of the park, everyone feels a sense of pride. Lewis shared a moment that brought him and his team great joy: “We got our EXPLORE test results back, and our 8th grade class got an aggregate score of 15 when the national average is 14.9. Even when we have challenging years, at the end of the day when I look at the success that our kids are having, it makes all the rest of it worth it. We’re making it happen. We’re here to make sure our kids feel affirmed and in a place of calm. We give them what they need to do their best and they do exactly that.”

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LetMeCounttheWays

A Standing Ovation Chicago International would like to thank all of the wonderful, dedicated teachers who make a difference in the lives of nearly 9,000 students and their families. We asked each of our school directors to nominate one exceptional educator who has made a particularly special impact on his or her campus community. Here's what they shared about the nominees:

Jennifer Campione | Basil 1st Grade Ms. Campione has been well known to students, staff, and parents as the teacher who communicates all of the essentials for each student to be successful throughout the entire school year. Ms. Campione’s greatest attribute is her connection to her students’ needs, followed by her strong dedication to making sure that every child is successful due to the learning that takes place in her classroom each and every day.

Katie Crist | Bucktown 3rd Grade Ms. Crist has endless amounts of energy and excitement about providing our third graders with the education they deserve. She is creative and has a way of always showing her own enthusiasm about teaching and learning. It is contagious!

Daniel Goodwin | Wrightwood 7th Grade Mr. Goodwin has high expectations for students, his classroom is student-centered and disciplined, and students are always engaged in active learning. Mr. Goodwin supports the school programs, collaborates with peers, and communicates regularly with parents.

Tiffany Harper | Washington Park 2nd Grade Ms. Harper creates the most amazing classroom environment and experiences for each student in her community on a daily basis. The students are encouraged to do their very best each day as learners and as human beings. She also achieved 100 percent of her students meeting or exceeding their NWEA targets this past spring, which demonstrates her commitment to our community.

Donna Henry | Longwood 12th Grade Ms. Donna Henry is a six-year CICS Longwood veteran. Students look to her for firm but fair guidance as she works with seniors on polishing their academic performance in preparation for college. Parents lean on her to keep them informed not only on academic progress, but also around preparing to apply to and enter college prepared for success. Colleagues know that they can count on Donna to listen to their concerns and provide helpful feedback in enhancing their instructional practices.

Jane Holper | Northtown Academy Special Education Ms. Holper is deserving of this award for a number of reasons: she articulates outcomes and has students self-assess progress towards outcomes; exhibits strong teacher collaboration and proactive support of general education teachers; communicates in a positive and proactive manner with families; and has an extremely deep knowledge of students.

Joseph Joyce | Avalon 6th Grade As a first year teacher in 2009–2010, Mr. Joyce’s overall student growth for his class demonstrated his subject area strengths and dedication to individual students. Mr. Joyce’s initiative to excel personally for the achievement of his students proved him as a confident and supportive piece of the school-wide community.

Anna Lam | Irving Park 2nd Grade Ms. Lam’s pedagogical practices reflect current research on best practices. She uses data to inform her instruction and differentiates for all students. While she views assessment and evaluation as integral components of the teaching-learning process, she encourages children to improve their potential rather than to compete with others.

Karla Lyles | Lloyd Bond Kindergarten The ultimate compliment that a teacher can receive is when people (parents and staff members) state that “I would love for my child

to be in that class on the teacher’s worst day.” What separates Ms. Lyles from others is that the same compassion and desire for development that she demonstrates for children, she also extends to staff members who are not on her team.

Audry Peden | Ralph Ellison 12th Grade Audry is committed to supporting and coordinating students’ extracurricular needs, and has coordinated family involvement activities such as: Daughter/Father, Son/Father basketball tournaments, organizing Biannual Community Showcases, and weekend open gym for parents. She does this while carrying a full teaching load and completing her Master’s degree during the evenings. Audry is a perfect role model for the young women at Ralph Ellison.

Molly Shields | West Belden Special Education Ms. Shields is really unbelievable. She has an innate ability to foster relationships with her students and connect with them on a level that encourages a love of learning and a motivation for whatever it is they are studying. She teaches students to think beyond the classroom—in fact, the environmental program she developed at our school came from the students’ interest in helping the environment, and now we compost all of our food and scraps from the cafeteria.

Keeley Stitt | Loomis Primary Art She is phenomenal! She teaches the children from the viewpoint of the artist. They learn the history of the artist, their type of artistry, and they create examples of the art form. This is great for K-2nd graders as they learn an appreciation for art, art forms, and apply it to their student work.

Susan Thomas | Prairie 2nd Grade Susan Thomas is passionate about teaching and educating her students. She engages students with creative, yet rigorous, instruction so that students are thinking while learning!

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BudgetCuts

A Catalyst for Reform?

photo by Tommy Giglio

How shrinking budgets have forced efficiency and prompted innovation in public schools across the country by Daniel Anello

Shuffling his feet nervously, Anthony waits for an opportunity to nudge to the head of the mass of students crowding the table in front of him. His hands clutch a folded piece of paper, a list of questions he has been asked to prepare for the polished college recruiter in the suit, who is charmingly answering the litany of queries from eager students. The CICS Ralph Ellison College Fair doesn’t look much different than last year, with rows of tables representing a wide range of colleges and universities from Illinois and beyond. Neither do the classrooms at the CICS campus nor any of the other CICS network schools, with student attention narrowed on the inspiring words of a teacher—or heads bowed, eyes poring over an assignment one last time. These images

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are what anyone would witness across a host of quality schools in the United States, from KIPP Houston, to Los Angeles’ Bright Star Secondary Charter Academy, to Promise Academy of St. Louis. Each of these schools is determined to inspire a mass of dedicated learners looking for more in education, determined to provide the academics and additional resources necessary to fully prepare their students for a four-year college degree. Yet despite their determination, such schools are facing a rapidly changing resource landscape. It is hard to go anywhere now and not hear about education funding shortfalls. As states struggle to balance their budgets, education funding has suffered nationwide, leading to brutal cuts in teacher ranks, increased class sizes, shrinking wraparound programming, and more. “It’s an anemic way to fund public education,” says Parker Hudnut, Executive Director of Innovation and Charter Schools for Los

BudgetCuts

This is the biggest win of the economic crisis— using the stimulus funds to catalyze initiatives that would have probably never been pursued. It’s unlikely that these changes would have occurred without the incentive being there. The outcomes of this all still remain to be seen—but momentum in this reform is good.

Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). As a result of such cuts, Hudnut has seen a sharp increase in class sizes: “To walk into an [L.A. public] high school [classroom] and see less than 38 kids today is rare.” Schools are being forced to do more with less—much less. “Education funding across the states is highly varied,” says Mike Montoya, Deputy Director of the Broad Residency, a national leadership development program. His role includes building relationships nationally with Charter Management Organizations (CMOs), school districts, and the federal government, providing him with a comprehensive view of education across the states.

According to a report by the Center for Public Education, four out of five districts nationwide reported receiving fewer funds from state and local revenues for the 2011 school year. “The current economy is under assault, and funding is tight everywhere,” continues Montoya, adding that “many [organizations] are anticipating that next year will not be any better.” Hudnut probably knows this better than anyone. California has one of the lowest per-pupil funding rates in the country, and continues to see significant annual reductions in education dollars. In the last two years, LAUSD has slashed approximately $1.5 billion and faces

another $1 billion in planned cuts over the next three years. The district expects to reduce its $7 billion budget by more than a third by the 2012–2013 school year. “At some point there are concerns around what will be feasible with such massive decreases,” Hudnut says. In watching Anthony at the college fair however, it is clear that his learning environment is on an even keel, despite his school enduring a 6 percent reduction in per-pupil funding this year. When asked about his college plans, he quips that his goal is to land a Posse scholarship, but hasn’t yet determined his top college. When the conversation turns to his classes, he

“At some point there are concerns around what will be feasible with such massive decreases.”

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BudgetCuts

chatters eagerly about his math teacher and the help he has been receiving in and out of the classroom. The reality is that many schools are doing their best to absorb the burden of the cuts before they hit the students, the battle waging beyond the classroom and college fairs, so that kids like Anthony do not feel the weight while they are in school. This does not, however, alleviate the economic pressure many families are feeling beyond the walls of the school building, as many struggle to cope with the recession. Meanwhile, resources are wanting for out-of-school programs like clubs and sports, which are key tools in mitigating psychosocial problems and keeping families and students engaged. As schools fight to keep core academic programming in place, these are the first services to go. Mary Stafford, who oversees schools in the seven states that comprise EdisonLearning’s Midwest region, points out that this is creating a “growing deficit in broader educational programming.” While some of these issues bleed outside the control of most schools, Stafford says the “lack of investment in after-school and community programming will likely have a greater effect on the communities surrounding schools than people realize.” Behind the scenes nationwide, funding needs are causing many to rethink how they continue to best educate their students where they do have control: within the school. “Efficiency” has become the new buzz word within the space. Hudnut illustrates this further: “School efficiency has been incredibly enhanced due to limited resources, requiring people to focus on the best use of money. It’s a conversation I have heard routinely in the charter space, but that is now becoming more common in discussions at the district [level]. Until recently, there had often been a disconnect between budgets and [organizational] structure, which is something that can no longer continue.” “Cuts in funding have forced us to rethink and focus on what the priorities are,” says Stafford. She explains how there is a silver lining to the recent local cuts: “A lot of available [philanthropic and federal] funding is

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“The current economy is under assault, and funding is tight everywhere... many organizations are anticipating that next year will not be any better.” MIKE MONTOYA deputy director of the broad residency Oakland, California

Programs provided via partnerships with private organizations are what many schools are utilizing to fill some of the gaps left behind by budget cuts.

“School efficiency has been incredibly enhanced due to limited resources, requiring people to focus on the best use of money.” PARKER HUDNUT Executive Director of Innovation and Charter Schools Los Angeles Unified School District, CA

BudgetCuts

tied to school reform efforts and access to this money has led to some very swift education initiatives.” Montoya echoes Stafford’s sentiment: “This is the biggest win of the economic crisis—using the stimulus funds to catalyze initiatives that would have probably never been pursued. It’s unlikely that these changes would have occurred without the incentive being there. The outcomes of this all still remain to be seen— but momentum in this reform is good.” With the momentum behind education reform efforts being driven by the federal government’s Race to the Top, the Gates Foundation, and other powerful sources of capital, it’s hard to deny Stafford and Montoya’s position. The $4.3 billion made available by the U.S. government through Race to the Top was explicitly awarded to states willing to take on a more reform-minded approach to education. Twelve states “won” access to substantial dollars by strongly committing to the adoption of common standards and assessments, planning to build data systems to measure and track student performance, evaluating teachers more strictly, and committing to close failing schools. The reality is that financial constraints are causing typically entrenched philosophies to take a back seat to more progressive considerations. Teacher effectiveness initiatives in Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay are examples where unions and districts have agreed to work closely together in order to access funds through the Gates Foundation. Separate performancebased pay scaling for teachers, bonuses centering on performance and so-called “career laddering” with incentives for taking on additional responsibilities are among a few of the progressive ideas on the table in both districts. This collaborative sentiment is also occurring organically in places like

Denver, Baltimore, Detroit, and New Haven, CT. There, as the players are beginning to recognize the need for cohesion during this economic climate, doing their collective best to preserve jobs, become more efficient, and most importantly, keep the spending cuts from negatively impacting the children they are meant to educate. Meanwhile, new partnership opportunities are blossoming where private organizations, who are also financially constrained, are becoming valuable philanthropic resources for what they can provide—service. These partnerships include everything

For the immediate future, efficiency is becoming a way to ensure that kids like Anthony get access to the best possible educational opportunities despite funding shortfalls. And with no foreseeable relief from the education funding crisis in sight, organizations are finally beginning to consider, and collaborate on, some broader and more innovative reform initiatives that might just change education as we know it.

Opening page TOP LEFT: mary stafford, regional manager, edisonlearning Opening page Bottom LEFT: CICS ralph ellison students attending a college fair BELOW: laura webber, AN accenture EMPLOYEE, mentorS daisha hill, A cics LONGWOOD STUDENT

from advertising agencies like Leo Burnett developing and leading specialized art programs, to consulting firms such as Accenture providing hundreds of volunteer hours for their staff to mentor inner city high school girls. Ultimately, programs provided via these relationships are what many schools are utilizing to fill some of he gaps left behind by budget cuts. They are leveraging donated time, energy, and expertise to create everything from mentoring and tutoring supports to chess, culinary and fitness programs. It’s one more way to find “efficiency” in a very different economic climate.

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IN THE

oping

CLASSROOM

How the front lines are fighting to meet studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs from CICS Longwood to CICS Avalon and beyond by Michael Cotter | photos by Tommy Giglio

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Schools have had no choice but to adjust. Teachers became fundraisers and principals became human resource coordinators. On April 22, 2010, in a letter addressed to the parents and guardians of all Chicago Public School students, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, Ron Huberman, confirmed the rumored fears that had been circulating for weeks in the Chicago education community. He laid out some of the possible impacts of a massive budget deficit that CPS was facing in the coming school year because of delinquent compensation from Springfield.

Forced to see this economic forecast as a reality, schools have had no choice but to adjust. Teachers became fundraisers and principals became human resource coordinators. Campus communities across the Chicago International network responded by sending approximately 5,000 postcards to their legislators, visiting and calling their legislative offices in Chicago and Springfield, and urging them to find a solution to avoid the cuts laid out in the proposed state budget. Campuses sent delegations of staff, parents and students to Springfield, with some participating in one of the largest rallies in the history of the Illinois State Capitol. These campus groups joined an estimated 15,000 people gathered outside the statehouse and demanded that lawmakers enact an income tax increase to alleviate the cuts. CICS Longwood’s Junior Academy principal, Ladonna Kelly, knows all too well how these funding cuts hit her campus. A 5 percent budget cut isn’t an abstract figure to a school leader who’s responsible for coordinating the hiring of teachers, classroom aides, and tutors. Classroom needs don’t adjust with the resources available. Less money equals fewer teachers with more students—simple math. Ms. Kelly leads by example, and says despite these setbacks, “many teachers see how hard you’re working, and they’re willing to give

of their own time,” filling in for various staffing positions. There is a strong sense of solidarity during difficult times, and teachers are rising to the occasion, taking on extra responsibilities and making sure that the level of services they’re providing doesn’t suffer because of an already weak public funding stream that is cut year after year. “That just shows commitment” adds Kelly, noticeably proud of the resilience that her teachers have shown under these financial constraints. Extra time put in by the teachers doesn’t completely fix the problem. Without the money to hire extra teachers’ aides, or tutors, Ms. Kelly has had to try some creative staffing decisions. “It was very difficult to leave an interview with a prospective teacher that you knew would be a great asset to your team, but you couldn’t hire them because of the salary cap,” referring to the shrinking personnel budget. To illustrate the direct impact that funding cuts can have on students, Ms. Kelly told of how a potential crisis was averted through clear communication, quick action, and a little creative thinking. As funding for a federally mandated tutoring program was slashed over the past two school years, CICS Longwood was faced with a dilemma. The funds budgeted to serve 1,100 students were reduced to a level capable of serving 133.

“Teachers are forced to think more creatively, which is a huge challenge given that teachers are already doing this at such a high level.” FocalPoint

CopingintheClassroom

The CICS Longwood leadership team refused to stop serving students in need, and jumped into action as soon as they learned of the cuts. To find additional tutors they recruited retired teachers and principals, student teachers from local colleges, and even engaged the academically successful older students to act as peer tutors—which would also earn them required service hours. With ingenuity and quick action, the Longwood administration was able to maintain tutoring capacity. Kelly credits early warnings of the rumored cuts as providing her with much-needed time to come up with some creative solutions. Chicago International’s central office advised all of the CICS campus directors to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. “You learn about those ‘oh my gosh’ problems in May and you’ll get to fix those ‘oh my gosh’ problems by August.” Kelly says that without an immediate mobilization of the CICS network

in response to rumored cuts, Longwood’s ad hoc response would not have been as strong. In the classrooms, teachers are feeling the squeeze as well. Cutting coupons, shopping at dollar stores, and enlisting the help of friends has long been a reality for teachers across the country, but in the wake of school districtand state-wide budget deficits, teachers have had to dig a little harder to make ends meet in the classroom. Teachers are spending more of their own money, and by default, teachers become classroom fundraisers. While it may be seen as a temporary solution to a systemic problem, it’s simply what needs to be done. Joe Joyce is the kind of career-changer teacher that can inspire you to want to change your own career and join the ranks of innovative educators. As school districts tightened their belts, Joyce, a 6th grade teacher at CICS Avalon, has been forced to get creative in

finding additional funding channels and teaching resources for his classroom. When asked where underfunding has created the most arduous strain on teaching, Joyce said, “Teachers are forced to think more creatively, which is a huge challenge given that teachers are already doing this at such a high level.” What may seem like small innovations can often have huge impacts on student learning, and Mr. Joyce epitomizes resourcefulness in the classroom. On a trip to Home Depot, he had the idea of cutting a large section of dry erase board into smaller tablets for individual student use. By cutting a wall-sized dry erase board into individual tablets, the class isn’t only saving money on paper, but is accommodating more individualized teaching and adding to overall student engagement. The reality is that prefabricated individual tablets are expensive, and if a classroom can’t afford to buy them, they’re not just missing

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out on the tablets, but they’re losing the teaching strategy that the tablets facilitate. This is just a small example of one of the creative solutions that Joyce has employed by using ingenuity to work around a reduction in classroom material stipends. “I’m not going to sit around and just wait for help” says Joyce. In addition to spending frugally, Joyce has been able to harness the enthusiasm of the students to drive classroom fundraising while using the process as a teaching tool. While he says that he has had to dip into his own savings for classroom supplies, he has also forced himself to think outside the box when it comes to finding those supplies, and in lesson planning as well. “Entrepreneurship is at the heart of everything we do in room 205!” Joyce, who has a background in investment banking and real-estate development,

explains that he left the private sector out of a life-long desire to teach. Joyce has reached out to former colleagues for support in the past, but now he is bringing business into the classroom. By spearheading these fundraising initiatives, Joyce has found a way to raise money for the classroom while teaching his students practical math and business skills. Even more impressive—the kids are all really excited about it, and that enthusiasm is apparent to everyone at school. “He gets the kids excited about learning how to run a business” says CICS Avalon director, Julia Hill. “The kids are really into it, and you can hear them talk about it, even in casual conversation.” Joyce and his students set up a 6th grade store to sell coffee, snacks, and school supplies to teachers and students. They used their proceeds to purchase needed classroom supplies and reinvested remaining profits back into the store.

At charter schools, decisions about how to best serve students aren’t made at a district office; instead, those decisions are made in the school by teachers and administrators who know the children personally. Despite receiving significantly less public funding than district schools, Chicago International continues to succeed, having effectively closed the achievement gap in reading in elementary school, and is on track to do the same for math by 2012. This freedom to innovate and do what’s best for each classroom is what has allowed these schools to survive and flourish. opposing page: LaDonna Kelly, cics longwood Junior academy principal above left: joe joyce, teacher at cics avalon above right: Joe Joyce and students at cics avalon

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If These Walls Could Talk The spirit of Larry Hawkins’ namesake lives on at Chicago International’s 15th Campus

left: Lamont Lofton, FORMER mentee OF LARRY HAWKINS top: Thomas anderson, cics larry hawkins director, SPEAKING AT LARRY HAWKINS CAMPUS RIBBON CUTTING ABOVE: first day of classes at CICS LARRY HAWKINS

by Kate Floyd | photos by Tommy Giglio

When Lamont Lofton, a South-side Chicago resident born and raised in Altgeld Gardens, was traveling home for the holidays from the Minnesota college he attended in the late ‘60s, he got an interesting question from his bus driver. “He looked at me holding my luggage and said, ‘Where you coming from?’ I told him I was returning from college. He said, ‘You live in Altgeld Gardens and you go to college? I didn’t know anyone in Altgeld went to college.’ I’ll never forget that day.”

relentless determination. His involvement with the University of Chicago allowed him to take young people on tours of the campus, meet professors, and get used to the college environment. Lofton looks back at those tours fondly: “As a sophomore and junior in high school, it was fascinating to visit the

Lofton’s voice trembles when recounting the story. Lofton says he has Larry Hawkins to thank for the path that he pursued, thus defying the era’s expectations of AfricanAmerican men from poor communities: “Mr. Hawkins was our basketball coach at Carver High School in Altgeld, but he was more than just a coach. He helped a lot of men to grow up as men. He educated folks from our neighborhood all the way to university— didn’t make a difference where you came from. If you could pronounce ‘college,’ he would help you get there.”

to university—didn’t make a difference where you

It is widely agreed that Hawkins’ presence in Altgeld Gardens, a far South-side Chicago neighborhood that has one of the city’s lowest-income and most geographically isolated communities, made a marked difference in residents’ lives. Hawkins, who never had children of his own, instilled a college-going mentality in hundreds of urban youth from across Chicago whom he taught, mentored, and coached with a 22

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pride in athletics, college preparedness, and community engagement promised to become integral to the school’s culture. The name was embraced by TAC members and Chicago residents alike, who recognized the relevance of Hawkins’ legacy to the Altgeld community.

“He helped a lot of men to grow up as men. He educated folks from our neighborhood all the way came from. If you could pronounce ‘college,’ he would help you get there.” university. To meet the professors, that was the highlight. I was nervous, but I got more comfortable each year—and eventually became a college student myself.” Decades later, Lofton was asked to join the Transition Advisory Council (TAC), a community group that advocated for the 7th-12th grade Chicago International Charter School to come to Altgeld Gardens. Lofton’s involvement with the TAC proved instrumental in ensuring that Hawkins’ legacy would live on: at a meeting to name the campus, it dawned on Lofton that Larry Hawkins would be the perfect namesake. Lofton felt he owed a gratitude to the man, and the name was a natural fit given that

The naming of the school was the culmination of the TAC members’ commitment to bringing a high-quality high school education option to families in the Altgeld neighborhood. It was a proud moment when, on a warm Saturday morning in October, the TAC members, campus staff, and student volunteers gathered together to acknowledge the players who helped make the school’s opening a success. Thomas Anderson, the Director of CICS Larry Hawkins, had this to say about the TAC’s contributions: “First, you really have to express appreciation in that they provided their sweat, and I’m sure a few tears, to push for a school that was definitely long overdue.

CampusProfile “Walking through the door for the first time, you don’t know where students are coming from in terms of academic background—for example, some have come to us from underperforming schools. The important thing is, they are here to get a quality education.” They have seen what it takes to get the job done, and having their support about what we have to do to make this a great school has been instrumental.” Anderson has a track record of raising the bar at public schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, and while you will often see him smiling, he knows how to use a firm tone and no-nonsense attitude to show that he means business. He believes that, once you have established consistency in the campus culture, then you can focus on what’s really important. “If you’re a student, you need to have to have the tie on, the right color shoes, the clear backpack. Your academics are what matters, so let’s spend less time talking about the little things.” When the small details are no longer an issue, Anderson says, “The greatest challenge is reaching every student, getting them to learn, to do not just their personal best, but to achieve at the highest possible level.” Although the school just opened in September 2010, Anderson holds students to a very high standard, whether they are at grade level or working to get there. “Walking through the door for the first time, you don’t know where students are coming from in terms of academic background—for example, some have come to us from underperforming schools. The important thing is, they are here to get a quality education. We have learned to assess where they are rather than where they came from. Many got above a 2.0 in recent progress reports, some got straight A’s. They’re here with the right attitude, they’re working with us, and that is a success in itself.” Katy-Jane Johnson, one of CICS Larry Hawkins’ college counselors, shared a

similar perspective. “Some of our kids are years behind for a variety of reasons, but the important thing is that they are here to learn and that they see this as a second chance.” Still, Johnson acknowledges that the CICS Larry Hawkins community will face its hardest challenges during the start-up years: “With the juniors and seniors, we will only have had them for a year or two, and the [college preparatory process] is at least a 4-year process.” The tight time span hasn’t discouraged Johnson, though—she has put her professional background in college admissions to use, and is busy preparing her seniors to apply for college. “For those seniors who have yet to take the ACT, we are getting them registered to take the test. We are also requiring our seniors to apply to—at minimum—one Illinois state university and one community college.” School-wide, Johnson says there has been a lot of interest in post-secondary pursuits. “We sent a busload of students to the National Association for College Admission Counseling College Fair at Navy Pier—and our kids even asked if they could bring students from other schools. The students are really curious, legitimately excited, asking what they need to do to apply for college.” Lofton was encouraged to hear of the progress that has been made at CICS Larry Hawkins thus far, and he had a message for the current students. “If Mr. Hawkins was around today, he would tell you: ‘Listen to your director, listen to your teachers, and go in there and do your work.’ He would point his finger at his temple and say ‘Go to class and get an education.’”

Years of Altgeld Gardens History

1945

Altgeld Gardens housing project built to address the housing needs of AfricanAmericans returning from World War II

1963

Larry Hawkins coaches the Carver High School basketball team to the state championship and goes on to mentor hundreds of South-side Chicago youth

1985

Barack Obama starts his community organizing career in Altgeld Gardens

2009

CICS Lloyd Bond opens to August serve K-8th grade students

2010

Transition Advisory August Council forms to bring a high-performing high school to Altgeld Gardens

2010

CICS Larry Hawkins opens September to serve 7th-12th grade students, providing the Altgeld community and surrounding neighborhoods with a high-quality K-12 education continuum

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2010 CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOL

ANNUAL REPORT

CONTRIBUTORS: BETH PURVIS, CHRISTINE POINDEXTER, TOM McGRATH During the 2009-2010 School year, Chicago International Charter School served 8,086 students at 13 campuses in Chicago. As described throughout this edition of FocalPoint, the greatest challenge this year was to accomplish more with less. Fiscal Year 2010 saw significant decreases in after-school funding and “fixed costs” that increased at a steeper rate than our per-pupil funding. Fortunately, the Chicago International board of directors designed the network to withstand an economic recession. Through sound financial management practices, strategic partnerships, and mission-driven decision making, the 2009–2010 school year was a successful one for our students and their families.

During the 2009–2010 school year, the average student who attended a CICS elementary campus that had been opened for more than 3 years was achieving at or above the national average. There were some palpable achievements in 2010, including improved student outcomes on the elementary and high school campuses, and the approval of our 14th Chicago campus, CICS Larry Hawkins, which opened in September. Further, we reached a distinctive goal by

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preparing to open our first campus outside of Chicago. In August 2010, CICS Patriots opened in Rockford, Illinois, serving students in kindergarten through fourth grade. Throughout our endeavors, the board and staff remained focused on the mission of providing, through innovation and choice, a high-quality collegepreparatory education that meets the needs of today’s student.

Educational Progress Since 2005, Chicago International has envisioned a school network where the average performance of CICS students was as good as or better than the average performance of more economically advantaged children. During the 2009-2010 school year, the average student who attended a CICS elementary campus that had been opened for more than 3 years was achieving at or above the national average as measured by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measure of Academic Progress (MAP). In our elementary schools, approximately 79% of students met or exceeded state standards on the 2010 Illinois State Achievement Test (ISAT) in math and 71% in reading. Consequently, Chicago International achieved a higher average percentage of students meeting state standards than the Chicago Public Schools meets/exceeds average in both curricular areas. From 2007 to 2010, CICS has increased our composite ISAT meets/ exceeds percentages by 3 percentage points, from 69% to 72%. This increase is partially attributed to the use of student data to make better instructional decisions in the classroom.

In addition, during this past year, Chicago International increased the overall percentage of students meeting projected growth targets on the NWEA reading and math scale. Spring 2010 NWEA data suggest that 68.1% of students in math and 67.3% of students in reading have achieved their individual growth targets. These percentages place CICS schools in the upper percentile of NWEA schools in terms of the percentage of students who meet or exceed their individual growth targets. Chicago International also looks at the NWEA Growth Index (GI) to gain perspective on the amount of academic growth we have accomplished above our targets. CICS exceeded typical growth in math and reading by 3.3 points. Compared to the previous year, Chicago International elementary school students increased the percentage of students who meet their individual growth targets by 5.1 percentage points in reading and 4.0 percentage points in math. Chicago International strives to graduate young men and women who will succeed in competitive and rigorous colleges. 80% of the Chicago International class of 2010 graduated within four years with an average ACT of 18.5. The CICS Class of 2011, tested in spring 2010, achieved an average composite ACT of 18.1. The ACT and its college readiness benchmarks can be a critical gatekeeper for student admission into college. Naturally, the ACT has become an important metric for CICS, as our mission is to provide a college preparatory education to all of our students.

2010AnnualReport

College acceptance and enrollment is on the rise. Over 97% of CICS graduates from the Class of 2010 were accepted into college, and 75% of students from the Class of 2009 were enrolled in college by November of their graduating year. ACT AVERAGE SCORE CLASS OF 2010

CLASS OF 2011

18.5 18.1 Over 97% of CICS graduates were accepted into college. Even more important to our stakeholders than acceptance rate, CICS continued to increase the percentage of students who enroll in college. 68% of students from the Class of 2007 had enrolled in college by November of their graduating year, and the rate increased to 75% for the class of 2009. As Chicago International continues to progress academically, focus will remain on the academic improvement of our students. We project academic growth for children at all levels, ensuring that all academic needs are met across our K–12 network.

Financial Progress As evidenced by our investment-grade bond rating and continually balanced books, Chicago International Charter School is considered to be one of the most financially sound charter networks in the country. Unique in the charter school landscape, CICS campuses are sustainable and efficient without significant support from external resources. Historically, CICS has never had more than 5% of its operating budget come from philanthropy. Although we will continue to grow, our stakeholders should be confident that our philosophy of sustainable growth and public education through the public dollar will not change. In order to make up for declining after-school funding and to support future sites, Chicago International will be taking more ambitious steps and dedicating more central office resources to secure philanthropic dollars. Despite the economic downturn, the administrative budget of our central office was

within 5% of projections. In addition, we met our budget goals for facilities, even with a number of very large capital projects. Facilities projects completed this year were related to campus improvements, network expansion and Chicago International’s commitment to provide an attractive and positive environment for teaching and learning. At our existing campuses, CICS is most proud of our new parking lot at our Ralph Ellison campus, the attractive renovation of the previously vacant annex at our Irving Park campus, and making the Longwood campus fully accessible to individuals with disabilities. CICS now provides ADA-accessible facilities to over 75% of the students and staff in its network, an achievement that gives us great pride. In August 2010, Chicago International opened the new Larry Hawkins campus in a CPSowned facility. This attractive and expansive site was renovated largely through CPS funds (~$6.5M). To ensure the low-voltage system and kitchen facilities were up to our standards, Chicago International invested over $400K of its assets in the project. This work occurred through network operating funds and the generous contributions of the Walton Family Foundation and the Renaissance Schools Fund.

Although we will continue to grow, our stakeholders should be confident that our philosophy of sustainable growth and public education through the public dollar will not change.

we invest well over $1M in facility operational improvements—our “summer projects.” Notable improvements include the following: a new, fully updated electrical and lighting system for the drama stages at the CICS Longwood and Bucktown Campuses; staff at Washington Park have a fully renovated teachers’ lounge, including extra office areas and a staff bathroom; prudent improvements in fire-safety were made at the CICS Wrightwood and Longwood campuses. Significant longterm investments to keep roofs and masonry water tight were made at CICS Lloyd Bond, Irving Park, Longwood and Northtown; and critical investments in the heating systems were made at the CICS Bucktown, Basil, Irving Park, and West Belden sites. Students and teachers across the network returned to freshly painted classrooms and fully cleaned buildings, with a few enjoying air conditioning for the first time.

Strategic Vision The choices of the Chicago International board and staff continue to align with the strategic vision set in 2005. Fifteen of the 21 schools we planned to open by 2015 are opened or approved. We have met all financial, educational and bond covenants related to our 2007 bond offering. Most importantly, each year, the students of Chicago International become more competitive academically as we work to close the achievement gap.

We are also excited about smaller projects that significantly improved the learning environments of children at our existing campuses. Every year

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2010AnnualReport

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES Revenue

2010

2009

65,504,589

58,526,093

4,247,141

2,902,313

2,232,677

2,686,926

Investment Income

262,165

891,205

School Lunch Program (Longwood Campus)

200,213

197,109

Other

511,394

335,200

72,958,179

65,538,846

59,343,958

51,860,556

Chicago Public Schools Per Capita Revenue & Other Funds Special Services Grant Commitments & Other Contributions

Total Revenue

FISCAL YEAR 2010 REVENUE $72,958,179

Per-Pupil Revenue & Other Funds 96% Grants, Contributions, 3% & Fundraising Income Other 1%

Expenses Operating Funds to EMOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Longwood Campus Expenses Administrative Expenses

291,503

276,085

2,114,982

1,939,611

Facility Maintenance & Capital Expenses

972,987

1,070,196

Rent, Utilities & Property Taxes

1,595,605

1,218,097

Debt Service

2,512,428

2,496,262

Grant Expense

1,865,400

2,452,494

147,845

134,701

Insurance Expense Direct Campus Expenses

94,629

561,045

2,363,386

2,160,326

71,302,723

64,169,373

1,655,456

1,369,473

Depreciation & Amortization

Total Expenses Change in Assets to Management Company

Change in Net Assets

FISCAL YEAR 2010 EXPENSES $71,302,723

Campus Operating Funds 83% Other Program Expenses 14% Supporting Services 3%

CONSOLIDATED STATeMENT OF CASH FLOW Cash Flows from Operating Activities Change in Net Assets

2010

2009

1,086,088

1,369,473

2,363,387

2,160,326

Adjustments to Reconcile Net Earnings to Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities: Depreciation & Amortization Forgiveness of Debt & Bad Debt Expense

(176,050)

78,872

(163,127)

45,460

(7,652)

(114,522)

272,975

(730,300)

74,099

(42,212)

(67,563)

75,853

Accounts Payable & Accrued Expenses

290,150

(936,969)

Deferred Rent & Deferred Liability

167,319

(56,676)

4,257,676

1,431,227

Loss on Sale of Investments Loss on Disposition of Fixed Assets Fair Market Value Adjustment on Investments Change in Current Assets & Liabilities Accounts & Grants Receivable Interest Receivable Deposits & Prepaid Expenses

Cash Provided by Operating Activities

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2010AnnualReport

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET Assets

2010

2009

Cash

9,239,485

7,270,643

Accounts Receivable

1,744,158

2,017,133

Investments

5,256,727

6,544,508

Cash 13%

129,967

159,332

Cash, Restricted by Bond Indenture 10%

7,070,592

7,895,538

44,819,441

42,992,382

1,070,974

538,146

69,331,345

67,417,682

Accounts Payable

119,295

236,775

Accrued Liabilities

2,054,994

1,647,364

331,003

Prepaids Other Current Assets Fixed Assets Other Non-Current Assets

Total Assets

Property & Equipment Net 65%

Investments & Other Assets 9% Accounts Receivable 3%

FY 2010 TOTAL ASSETS $69,331,345

Deposits & Prepaid Expenses <1%

Liabilities

Loans Payable–Current

Bonds Payable 73% Net Assets 22%

Other Current Liabilities

690,048

522,729

Accounts Payable 3% & Accrued Expenses

Notes Payable

979,950

Notes & Capital Leases Payable 1%

Bonds Payable

50,248,443

49,878,337

54,423,734

53,596,158

1,537,032

33,418

Operating Surplus/Loss

13,370,580

13,788,106

Total Net Assets

14,907,612

13,821,524

Total Liabilities and Net Assets

69,331,345

67,417,682

Total Liabilities

Deferred Rent 1%

FY 2010 LIABILITIES & NET ASSETS $69,331,345

Current Loans Payable <1%

Net Assets Board Designated

Cash Flows From Investing Activities Purchase of Securities Proceeds from Sale of Securities Expenditures for Assets Not in Service Purchase of Property & Equipment

NOTE: 2010 figures are based on CICS’s unaudited financial statements for the year ending June 30, 2010. Once the independent audits have been prepared, a complete copy of those statements is available by contacting CICS.

2010

2009

(30,177,273)

(5,960,185)

31,301,862

7,610,983

(532,828)

1,546,103

(603,613)

(3,587,113)

(9,152,510)

(3,598,964)

(5,955,609)

Bond Interest Income

(178,045

(233,131)

Transfer of Cash—Bond Repair & Replacement Reserve

(400,00)

(400,000)

150,000

Proceeds from IFF Loan & Loan Costs

666,503

Bond Interest Payments

886,350

1,738,667

Capital Improvement Projects

335,322

6,182,310

Cash Provided by Financing Activities

1,310,131

7,437,845

Increase (Decrease) in Cash

1,968,842

2,913,463

Capitalized Expenditure

Cash Used in Investing Activities Cash Flows from Financing Activities

Payments from Charter School Growth Fund

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2010AnnualReport

STUDENT PERFORMANCE 2009–2010 CAMPUS STATISTICS

The following information highlights Chicago International’s academic results by campus for the 2009–2010 school year. As you are reviewing, please note the following as it will better explain Chicago International’s achievements:

The No Child Left Behind Adequate Yearly Progress target for ISAT in 2009 was 70% of students meeting and/or exceeding standards.

The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) measures the percentage of individual students meeting and/or exceeding set growth

targets based on normative data.

NWEA measures of 50–70% are considered above average NWEA measures of greater than 70% are considered exemplary

Growth index measures the number of points on NWEA’s scale in which a student or group is above or below typical growth.

CICS

(K–8) OPENED AUGUST 2005

(K–8) OPENED AUGUST 2002

AVALON

1501 East 83rd Place. Serving students from the communities of Avalon, South Shore and Woodlawn.

BUCKTOWN ISAT

73.5 READING 80.1 MATH 70.5 SCIENCE

NWEA 419

students

59.1 READING 100% African American

90% Receive Free/Reduced Lunch Benefits

62.1 MATH

GROWTH INDEX 1.0 READING 2.3 MATH

628

students

71% Hispanic 21.7% African American 6.2% Caucasian 1.1% Asian/Pacific Islander

80% Receive Free/Reduced Lunch Benefits

CICS

(PRE-K–8) OPENED AUGUST 2002

(K–6) OPENED AUGUST 2007

BASIL

1816 West Garfield Blvd. Serving students from the communities of Englewood and Washington Park.

731

students

94.4% African American 5.5% Hispanic 0.1% Asian/Pacific Islander

92% Receive Free/Reduced Lunch Benefits

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ISAT

81.4 READING 88.3 MATH 78.2 SCIENCE

NWEA

73.0 READING 73.9 MATH

GROWTH INDEX 4.1 READING 3.6 MATH

IRVING PARK ISAT

60.3 READING 67.5 MATH 49.3 SCIENCE

NWEA

2235 North Hamilton. Serving students from the communities of Logan Square and around the city of Chicago.

62.9 READING 61.2 MATH

GROWTH INDEX 2.3 READING 2.3 MATH

3820 North Spaulding Drive. Serving students from the community of Irving Park.

408

students

63.2% Hispanic 20.4% African American 12.5% Caucasian 3.7% Asian/Pacific Islander 0.2% Native American

75% Receive Free/Reduced Lunch Benefits

ISAT

71.8 READING 83.3 MATH 73.3 SCIENCE

NWEA

62.6 READING 75.6 MATH

GROWTH INDEX 2.9 READING 4.9 MATH

2010AnnualReport

LLOYD BOND (K–8) OPENED AUGUST 2009

13300 South Langley. Serving students from the community of Altgeld Gardens. Named in honor of Dr. Lloyd Bond.

ISAT

343

CICS

50.3 READING

6105 South Michigan Avenue. Serving the students of the Washington Park community.

37.5 SCIENCE *

(K–8) OPENED AUGUST 2001

61.5 READING 59.4 MATH

GROWTH INDEX 2.0 READING 2.6 MATH

427

students

97% Receive Free/Reduced Lunch Benefits

CICS

(3–8) OPENED AUGUST 1997

(K–8) OPENED AUGUST 2002

LONGWOOD

917

students

83% Receive Free/Reduced Lunch Benefits

ISAT

74.6 READING 88.0 MATH 80.8 SCIENCE *

2245 North McVicker Avenue. Serving students of the BelmontCragin neighborhood.

64.2 READING 64.6 MATH

GROWTH INDEX 2.6 READING 2.7 MATH

501

students

90% Hispanic 8.8% African American 1.2% Caucasian

96% Receive Free/Reduced Lunch Benefits

CICS

(K–2) OPENED AUGUST 2008

(K–8) OPENED AUGUST 2005

LOOMIS

588

students

98.7% African American 0.7% Hispanic 0.3% Caucasian 0.3% Asian/Pacific Islander

84% Receive Free/Reduced Lunch Benefits

74.1 MATH 53.0 SCIENCE *

68.0 READING 70.8 MATH

GROWTH INDEX 3.2 READING 4.1 MATH

ISAT

88.3 READING 91.9 MATH 74.6 SCIENCE

NWEA

CICS

9535 S. Loomis St. Serving students from the community of Washington Heights and the South Side of Chicago.

64.5 READING

WEST BELDEN

NWEA 99.1% African American 0.8% Hispanic 0.1% Caucasian

99.8% African American 0.2% Caucasian

CICS

1309 West 95th Street. Serving students from the community of Washington Heights and the South Side of Chicago.

ISAT

NWEA

100% African American

95% Receive Free/Reduced Lunch Benefits

WASHINGTON PARK

61.7 MATH

NWEA students

T N EN IO EC T R DI AD

CICS

69.9 READING 81.1 MATH

GROWTH INDEX 3.6 READING 5.7 MATH

WRIGHTWOOD ISAT NOT APPLICABLE

READING

NOT APPLICABLE

MATH

NOT APPLICABLE

SCIENCE

NWEA

8130 South California Avenue. Serving students from the community of Wrightwood. Most students live within 2 miles.

ISAT

72.9 READING 72.3 MATH 70.4 SCIENCE

NWEA

56.0 READING 61.3 MATH

GROWTH INDEX 1.1 READING 1.3 MATH

724

students

98.6% African American 0.7% Hispanic 0.6% Caucasian 0.1% American Indian

86% Receive Free/Reduced Lunch Benefits

60.4 READING 62.0 MATH

GROWTH INDEX 1.4 READING 1.7 MATH

CICS

PRAIRIE

(K–8) OPENED AUGUST 1998 11530 South Prairie Avenue. Serving students from the Roseland community; many are within walking distance.

ISAT

425

students

96% Receive Free/Reduced Lunch Benefits

FOOTNOTES & EXTRAS * Above Average Performance

65.8 READING 76.9 MATH

** Exemplary Performance (NWEA Only Category)

58.7 SCIENCE

NWEA 59.8% African American 40% Hispanic 0.2% Caucasian

64.0 READING

Note: Not enough data on NWEA Science to be considered for calculations.

59.4 MATH

GROWTH INDEX 2.4 READING 1.3 MATH FocalPoint

2010AnnualReport

LONGWOOD 1309 West 95th Street. Serving students from the community of Washington Heights and the South Side of Chicago.

CLASS OF 2010 (107 STUDENTS)

17.9

ACT COMP. AVERAGE

559

students

99.1% African American 0.8% Hispanic 0.1% Caucasian

23% SCORING

PATRIOTS

(K–8) OPENED AUGUST 2010

(9–12) OPENED AUGUST 1997

CICS

EW IO N IT D AD

H L IG O H HO SC

CICS

615 South 5th Street, Rockford, IL. Opened in August 2010 to serve students in grades K–4, and will open a new grade each subsequent year. This is CICS’s first campus outside of Chicago. Director Charo Chaney, a Rockford native, has a rich history of educating Rockford children. The campus enjoys strong community partnerships with Patriots Gateway Center and Zion Development Corporation, and recently received $500K of in-kind donations from ETA Cuisenaire.

ABOVE 20

87.7% 98%

4-YEAR COHORT COLLEGE GRAD. RATE ACCEPTANCE 83% Receive Free/Reduced Lunch Benefits

NORTHTOWN ACAD. (9–12) OPENED AUGUST 2003

3900 West Peterson Avenue. Serving students from the communities around the city of Chicago.

838

students

50.4% Hispanic 26.2% Caucasian 12.4% Asian/Pacific Islander 10.4% African American 0.6% Native American

H L IG O H HO SC

CICS

CLASS OF 2010 (176 STUDENTS)

19.1

ACT COMP. AVERAGE

38% SCORING

CICS

SUMMARY STATISTICS Chicago International has made significant progress toward its goal of closing the achievement gap between the performance of our students and the performance of their more economically advantaged peers. This is most evident in the year-on-year positive Growth Index numbers for the NWEA. With this exceptional progress, we fully expect to close the gap in all of our schools by 2013.

ABOVE 20

73.1% 97%

NWEA AGGREGATE

4-YEAR COHORT COLLEGE GRAD. RATE ACCEPTANCE

NWEA GROWTH INDEX*

75% Receive Free/Reduced Lunch Benefits

2.3 2.0

2.2 2.2

3.3 3.3

*A growth index above zero indicates that, compared to national performance, growth is above average.

RALPH ELLISON (9–12) OPENED AUGUST 2006

H L IG O H HO SC

CICS

68.1%

MATH READING

8001 South Honore. Serving students from the Auburn-Gresham community and surrounding neighborhoods.

AVERAGE

578

students

98.2% African American 1.0% Hispanic 0.5% Caucasian 0.3% Asian/Pacific Islander

25% SCORING

62.2% 61%

2008

62.2% 61%

61%

58%

2009

2010

*Average of the percentage of students who meet/exceed NWEA growth target at the 50th percentile in grades 2–8.

ABOVE 20

ISAT AGGREGATE

83.5% 94% 4-YEAR COHORT COLLEGE GRAD. RATE

67.3%

64.1%

NATIONAL MATH 58% NATIONAL READING

CLASS OF 2010 (93 STUDENTS)

18.3 ACT COMP.

65.5%

79.6%

ACCEPTANCE

CICS MATH

91% Receive Free/Reduced Lunch Benefits

79%

77% 73.5%

LARRY HAWKINS

CICS COMPOSITE 72% CPS COMPOSITE 72% CICS READING CICS SCIENCE

801 East 133rd Place. Opened in September 2010 to serve students in grades 7–12. Named by community members to honor the life of Larry Hawkins, a prominent advocate for Chicago youth. Director Thomas Anderson has a track record of raising the bar at public schools in Montgomery County, Maryland. The opening of CICS Lloyd Bond and CICS Larry Hawkins provides a K–12 continuum for residents in and around the Altgeld Gardens neighborhood.

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72% 69.6%

70%

(7–12) OPENED AUGUST 2010

EW IO N IT D AD

CICS

68.8%

67%

ACT AVERAGE CICS HIGH SCHOOL

GRAD. RATE

Chicago Public Schools (CPS)

68%

2008

CICS HIGH SCHOOL

71% 70% 66%

2009

2010

18.2

18.5

18.1

N/A

81.6%

80.0%

2008

2009

2010

FUNDER PROFILE

2010AnnualReport

Pass With Flying Colors Pass with Flying Colors, a new non-profit organization providing underserved students in Chicago with resources to succeed in school, announced its launch last spring by partnering with Chicago International’s newest high school, CICS Larry Hawkins. To kick off its inaugural school year, Pass with Flying Colors presented every CICS Larry Hawkins students with a fully supplied backpack, and has also committed to funding all of the school’s extra-curricular programming including arts, drama, and sports. Pass With Flying Colors (PWFC) provides Chicago high school students with the tools necessary to be successful in school and successful in life. PWFC provides students with enrichment programming and other essential resources to build self-esteem including: After-school clubs, school supplies for students, school uniforms, and winter outerwear. They provide this support for students in the hope that they will graduate from high school with confidence and go on to be successful in their next educational endeavor or career choice.

Chicago International has outlined a distinct set of programs and resources that will better fulfill our mission in the secondary grades. We strongly believe that all CICS high school students must graduate with the skills they need to succeed in college, the workplace, and life. Pass with Flying Colors’ commitment to our students demonstrates how the missions of both partners are fully aligned. “The commitment of Pass with Flying Colors to support CICS Larry Hawkins is paramount to the future success of the school,” said Beth Purvis, Executive Director of Chicago International Charter School. “With its support, this organization has made a statement to the Altgeld community that its children matter and that it is the responsibility of all Chicago residents to ensure that even the most economically disadvantaged children have access to a high quality place to live and to learn.”

as its first school partner because of their rigorous academic standards and culture of discipline and respect present in the schools. The programming supported by CICS and PWFC complements the rigorous curriculum of the school day with clubs and activities that boost social-emotional development, so students leave high school with the selfesteem to go to college, and the skills to graduate from college. The programs for our first year include: After-School Programming—funding all after-school clubs at Larry Hawkins for the 2010–2011 school year Summer College Experience—providing scholarships for groups of students to attend a live-in summer enrichment camp at an area university Tools—delivering 500 backpacks,

PWFC launched as a nonprofit in April 2010. Founders Kenny and Paula have one objective: to see more high-school students graduate from college, affording them more opportunities as adults. PWFC selected CICS

loaded with school supplies, for all of the students at Larry Hawkins; providing winter coats/hats/gloves for students who need them

OUR SUPPORTERS A wide variety of individuals and family foundations support CICS. We thank them for their generous contributions that help support our mission.

Gifts $10,000 and above

Gifts $1,000 and above

James Oliff

Bill Cooper

Howard Polk

Brittany Smith

Brian & Julie Simmons

Marcia Osher

C.W. Henderson & Associates, Inc.

Cary L. Neiman

Pam Strobel

Rauner Family Foundation

Groswenor Holdings LLC

Anthony Nasharr, III

Gates Charitable Trust

Jay & Cynthia Henderson

Bruce Hague

Richard Cortesi

Deborah Quazzo

Gifts $5,000 and above

Philip M. Friedman Family Trust

Douglas K. Walker

Tony Armour

Goldberg Kohn Ltd.

Gorter Family Foundation

Lavin Family Foundation

Brady Clegg

James G. Reilly

Howard Bernick Foundation

Catherine Gottfred

Matthew L. Conlon

Roger S. McEniry

Clare Munana

Phil Dodson FocalPoint

ResearchBrief

Resource Allocation & Performance Management in Charter Schools Connections to Student Success by Kenneth K. Wong, Francis X. Shen and Elizabeth Purvis

CICS COLLABORATIVE MODEL

CICS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CORE DUTIES Oversees the strategic vision and direction of the organization as a whole

CICS CENTRAL OFFICE

EDUCATION MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS (EMOs)

CORE DUTIES Responsible for the strategic management of the network and its partners including: Out-of-school activities, communications, fundraising, and enrollment Finance and Compliance; Facilities maintenance and improvement

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CAMPUSES

CORE DUTIES EMOs hire a dynamic and highlyqualified school staff

CORE DUTIES Director and educators establish campus climate and culture

Provide professional development, design and adopt curricula

Work collaboratively with parents and community members

Manage faculty and staff to meet performance objectives

Modify and implement the curricula to best meet studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs

ResearchBrief

“What explains the differences between effective and ineffective schools?” Among researchers who study charter schools, a consensus is emerging that it is difficult to draw general conclusions as to whether or not charter schools nationally perform better that traditional public schools. Rather than asking, “Are charter schools working?” the better questions to ask might be, “Which charter schools are effective and which are not?” and “What explains the differences between the two?” In an attempt to address these questions, the current study focused on one unique charter school—the Chicago International Charter School. Chicago International is unique both for its academic successes and its management structure. The study sought to better understand CICS performance at both the system-wide and campus levels, focusing specifically on: 1.) Resource allocation decisions by CICS-contracted Education Management Organizations (EMO) 2.) CICS management practices to hold these EMOs accountable The study was made possible through a partnership between Chicago International and researchers from the National Center on School Choice, which allowed for examination of student-level achievement data as well as annual audit data collected from 2003 through 2006 for CICS campuses. The findings of this study were presented at the National Center on School Choice Conference held in October 2009.

In summary, the study data indicated that:

POLICY AND RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS

• Student achievement patterns cannot be linked, through statistical analysis, to differences in EMO spending across CICS campuses.

Although the study was not able to identify the connections between EMO spending decisions and student success in the Chicago International Charter School campuses, the analysis makes clear the need for more comparable financial data as well as a method for reliably comparing charter and traditional school spending decisions. This research also serves as a reminder of the fundamental challenge of capturing complicated management decisions in single financial indicators.

• From an operational and managerial perspective, the success of Chicago International can be attributed to a mission-driven approach to education that focuses on high-quality instruction in core academics, maintaining a disciplined environment, and evaluating performance according to individual student growth across core subject areas. • CICS also believes in collaborative relationships with its EMOs. EMOs are actively engaged in the development of their yearly targets. Moreover, the data used to calculate contract “scores” are forwarded to the EMOs for their verification. If the EMOs disagree with the way that the data were gathered or analyzed, dialogue is encouraged. • Another key to the success of the Chicago International model is the separation of duties between the EMOs and the CICS central office. The contract between CICS and each EMO emphasizes that the EMO is responsible for all activities that occur within the walls of the school. The central office of Chicago International is responsible for all capital repairs and improvements to buildings; local, state, and federal compliance reporting; the relationship with the charter authorizer; and grant writing and fundraising.

For policymakers, an important lesson to draw from Chicago International’s success is that EMOs should be held accountable through a hands-on performance management system. Chicago International manages its EMO relationships according to student outcomes, not educational inputs. This model cedes great control to the EMO partner, which can be difficult when an individual school is not performing to its fullest potential. As an organization, the board of directors, central office staff, and EMO staff are continuously negotiating around the levers of control. During the next three years, Chicago International plans to study more closely the performance of its students and its relationship with campus autonomy among the EMOs. Top left: Dr. ELIZABETH PURVIS, coauthor of study and executive director of chicago international charter school

FULL TEXT AVAILABLE ON National Center on School Choice website www.vanderbilt.edu/schoolchoice/conference/ papers/Wong-Shen.pdf

FocalPoint

CommitmenttoCollege

Their Time to Shine A CICS Posse scholarship aspirant and current Posse scholar reflect on their experiences From September through December each year, Posse, a national college access and youth leadership development program, uses a unique evaluation called the Dynamic Assessment Program (DAP) to select its scholars. DAP is designed to identify young leaders who might be missed by traditional admissions criteria, but who can excel at selective colleges and universities.

Using non-traditional forums to evaluate potential, DAP offers students an opportunity to demonstrate their intrinsic leadership abilities, their skill at working in a team setting, and their motivation and desire to succeed. DAP has proven to be an extremely effective tool for identifying outstanding young leaders. In a three-part process, including large group and individual

interviews, Posse staff and university partner administrators ultimately select a diverse group of 10 students for each college or university, thus forming a Posse. SOURCE: Posse Foundation website www.possefoundation.org

CICS RALPH ELLISON

DEVEON ROSE class of 2011 Mr. Malone, my college counselor at CICS Ralph Ellison, pointed out the Posse Program to me so I decided to give it a try. The college application and Posse application process has been a long one; it’s been a little tough on my mom as well. Yesterday, she started filling out the early decision financial aid paperwork and it’s a lot to manage, plus she’s still getting used to the idea of me going away. The Posse interview process has several steps. In early September, we had a four-hour interview with a group of kids like me. We did team-building activities like “build the tallest tower out of a certain number of straws.” We couldn’t use our good hand—I’m left-handed so I couldn’t use my left hand during the activity.

My team worked well together, pushed each other and said, “How can we make our tower taller?” We did speaking activities where we had to respond to statements like ‘pretend you just won the Posse Scholarship.’ We also did plays in which we discussed the benefits of going to college.

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When I had to write an essay for Posse, I wrote about how when I was in 8th grade at Turner Drew [a neighborhood school], I wasn’t doing so well—but then I came to Ellison and started doing better. I like it here, I’ve grown a lot here and since I really like music, I recently wrote the school song. My top three Posse schools are the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Oberlin College, and Trinity College. But I am keeping my options open beyond Posse as well—I recently went to the 100 Black Men of Chicago Scholarship Fair and did an on-the-spot admissions interviews for a college; I had to be really prepared and bring my ACT scores, personal statement, transcript, everything. It was a good experience. Recently, I had my one-on-one interview with Posse representatives and it went pretty well. Of course I was nervous but when they asked me about the leadership roles I’ve taken on and what could I provide to Posse, I said “I can be a leader. I may not be the president of something but I’ll be a leader when it counts.” UPDATE: Deveon’s application for the Posse Scholarship was not approved. But he remains optimistic about his other prospects.

commitmenttocollege

CICS LONGWOOD

CONEI COLEMAN class of 2007 I graduated from CICS Longwood in 2007, and when I did my college search I was looking mainly at Illinois schools. When the Posse program was brought to my attention by Ms. Purham, my college counselor, it sounded promising so I went with it. I researched the program a little bit, I learned about the things they were trying to promote and do, and what they could offer me as a student to help me be successful in life. Then I looked into Madison which had just started up its Posse program, and once I realized the accolades that Madison was known for, I couldn’t not apply. Biggest surprises? Coming from Chicago, from CICS Longwood which is predominantly African-American, I wasn’t accustomed to the diversity aspect at first but now I like being part of a diverse community. The academic aspect was the biggest transition for me—I learned that college is basically a competition among students, and I felt a lot of the other students were better prepared than I was. But even though it was a big change, I’ve learned so much, I don’t regret it for a minute. To catch up I have relied on my posse, we study together all the time and help each other out. The university is great for support as well; I’m an economics major so I have used the math and economics tutorial programs as well as the math resource center. Any resource you need, it is available and if it isn’t they will make it available. I am glad that I chose a college with such strong support—I wasn’t sure I was going

to get that from the Chicago-based colleges I was looking at before I found out about Posse.

The Posse program has helped dramatically; it’s a recognized program on campus. If you’re a Posse scholar people know it and they think highly of the program. They know the Posse students are here to bring leadership and diversity, to bring something new to the campus that wouldn’t otherwise be available. I graduate in December 2011, and I’m looking to get into asset management, something with finance and accounting. I feel prepared because I’ve had plenty of internships, including an internship in Chicago this past summer. I got the internship through Posse—Posse is great at career development and professional development. I met some really successful people and learned things that you don’t learn in the classroom. It’s a different type of learning, to learn in the field versus in the classroom. I go back to CICS Longwood from time to time to talk about Posse and I hope for the best for other Posse applicants. I think the program is getting competitive, but I would encourage people to keep trying. I really love it here.

POSSE SCHOLARS UPDATE: Congratulations to our high school seniors who will enter college as Posse Scholars in Fall 2011. Michael Ayala, CICS Northtown Oberlin College

Dione Gordon, CICS Longwood DePauw University

Maribel Diaz, CICS Northtown DePauw University

Kathleen Kivarkis, CICS Northtown University of Wisconsin at Madison

Alante Ward, CICS Ralph Ellison Connecticut College

FocalPoint

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