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Spotlight: University of Chicago Network for College Success
The University of Chicago Network for College Success (NCS) partnered with high schools in the Chicago Public School district to create conditions in 9th grade for student success to and through high school and college. In 2020 NCS was recognized with the Spotlight on Quality in Continuous Improvement for its networked approach to cultivate postsecondary readiness and success for all students by translating research into practice and supporting high school leaders to organize their schools for improvement and innovation.
High school success is cultivated by ensuring that students are on track to graduate in 9th grade—that is, that they are passing their courses and earning enough credits to be promoted to their sophomore year. Students who fail courses in 9th grade have greatly diminished chances of making it over the high school finish line. The UChicago Network for College Success (NCS) supported educators in their partner school network to increase the number of 9th-grade students on-track to graduate. NCS worked with schools to develop high-functioning teams that regularly reviewed research, analyzed freshman data, and created targeted next steps. As a result, the partner school network saw early and continued gains in on-track rates. As this work has spread across the Chicago Public Schools over time, the results have been impressive: citywide, 89% of CPS 9th graders are on-track to graduate, compared to 61% in 2007. As 9th grade on-track rates have risen, so too have graduation rates, leading to a substantial, sustained, and systemwide shift in CPS students’ odds of graduating from high school.
Access three different resources about The University of Chicago Network for College Success:
- View this session from the 2021 Summit on Improvement in Education education to learn how network leaders applied improvement methods to translate foundational research into practice, iteratively constructed practical theories and measurements, designed Freshman Success Teams to harness the collective efficacy of adults to honor students’ brilliance, and continue to deepen their improvement journey:
- Learn more about the work of the University of Chicago Network for College Success and view a webinar in which practitioners and network leaders discuss how they dramatically increased the number of 9th-grade students that were on track to high school graduation.
- Download the full profile of the Network for College Success.
The Carnegie Foundation launched the Spotlight on Quality in Continuous Improvement program in 2017 to elevate clear and compelling examples of how the rigorous application of improvement principles, methods, processes, and tools solve educational problems. Each honoree has demonstrated quality in the enactment of improvement principles, methods, and tools applied to significant problems in education or to transform their educational systems or organizations.
