Chicago Public Schools Office of High School Programs Department of Dropout Prevention and Recovery

1. Chicago Public SchoolsOffice of High School ProgramsDepartment of Dropout Prevention and Recovery Dr. Darreyl M. Young, Manager Confidential Not for Publication

2. The Problems CPS does not do enough to keep students on-track and engaged in high school. Too many students are dropping out of school. Once students drop out, there are too few educational options and no organized system to facilitate students returning to school.

3. Reduce freshman failure rate The Solutions Recovery Prevention

4. A system to increase the number of students graduating from CPS 1. TRANSITION TO HIGH SCHOOL 2. CREDIT RECOVERY Prevention 3. ENGAGING STUDENTS WITH HIGH CREDITS/HIGH ACHIEVEMENT 4. RE-ENROLLMENT OF DROPOUTS Recovery 5. NEW OPTIONS

5. 1. TRANSITION TO HIGH SCHOOL • Increase support for students with low to marginal skills entering high school • Concentrate on students who are overage for grade

6. 2. CREDIT RECOVERY • Make sure students who fail courses have opportunities to recover these credits • Create and expand high quality options for students to get back on track: • Summer school • Evening school • Illinois Virtual High School

7. 3. ENGAGING STUDENTS WITH HIGH CREDITS/ HIGH ACHIEVEMENT • Use post-secondary to make sure students who are on track are on their way to graduation • Make sure high schools are monitoring the performance of their higher performing students

8. 4. REENROLLMENT • Establish a system of recovering students and ensuring that re-entrance leads to recovery • Reenrollment Center: • To streamline the process for reenrolling students • To determine students who need assessment • To place students appropriately so that they can work towards graduation • To monitor placements to ensure they are the right placements

9. 5. NEW OPTIONS • Provide new options for students with few credits • Establish LINC Schools through RFP process • Emphasize placement slots for students with 0-5 credits • Performance-based contracts • Provide new options for students with 17+credits who need to return • Expanded Evening School • Illinois Virtual High School

10. Problems • Students falling beneath the cracks. • Unable to enroll in school upon release from incarceration.

11. Office of High School ProgramsDepartment of Drop Out Prevention and Recovery • ALOP Schools • Project Bridge • LINC Schools

12. Alternative Learning Opportunities Program (ALOP Schools) • ALOP Schools provide students in grades 4 through 12 who are at risk of academic failure with a broader range of academic, behavioral and social/emotional interventions designed to increase the academic levels of these students so that they are able to meet the Illinois Learning Standards and complete their education in a safe learning community. • Students have 0-5 credits and are either on probation or parole. • ALOP Schools at three locations: 1) Healy South Alternative High School 2) Healy North Alternative High School 3) Center Factory School • Currently 150 students enrolled in program with numbers steadily increasing.

13. ALOP SCHOOLS • Program designed to address individual learning styles, career development, and social services that will enable students to successfully complete their education. • The program of instruction is consistent with the Illinois Learning Standards and students receive credit toward completion of required courses. • A student success plan must be developed with each student to determine educational goals. In addition, ALOP schools must provide students with additional services such as counseling, mentoring or tutoring, health and nutrition education, and childcare.

14. What is “Project Bridge” • Collaborative Grant a) Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant (JAIBG) b) Illinois Criminal Justice Authority (ICJA) c) Chicago Police Department • Goals • To reduce recidivism among 16 and 17 years old • To increase inter-agency communication and collaborations

15. 5 Major Areas of Focus with Bridge Participants • Education • Creative Arts • Life Skills/Vocational Training • Parental Involvement • Transitional Planning

16. Day to Day Programming • Students have 10 weeks to work on program goals 1) Resume Preparation 2) Interview Skills/Grooming 3) Reading and Math

17. Areas to Focus on for the Next Year • Stronger Transitions • Stronger Support for Bridge Participants Beyond Graduation • Research More Funding • i.e. Workforce Enforcement Act (WIA) • Other laws to help the recidivism rate

18. LINC Schools • LINC Schools provide full educational services to about 500 students ages 16-21 who have dropped out of high school. Students generally have 0-5 credits and will have 20 credits and an Illinois State high school diploma once they have successfully completed the program. • The program works with three contract schools: • Banner • Prologue (includes 5 sites) • Aspira • Students can reenroll in 3 ways: 1) Call CPS Reenrollment Hotline 2) Walk into reenrollment centers • Downloadable Referral form on CPS website • Majority of Students enrolled are 9th and 10th graders.