Bill And Melinda Gates Foundation Invests $21 Million In Chicago Schools

ill and Melinda Gates Foundation made an investment• Crane High School
of $21 million in Chicago Schools to strengthen the• Dunbar Vocational High School
students’ preparation for college. The gift funds• Dyett High School
the Chicago High School Redesign Initiative, which will• Fenger Academy High School
provide for major improvements in high school• John Hope College Preparatory High School
curriculum and instruction to ensure the students are• Kenwood Academy
prepared to succeed in college and career.• Wendell Phillips High School
Under this initiative, the coursework structure and• School of the Arts, South Shore Campus
teaching methods of 50 high schools will be• Mose Vines Preparatory Academy at Orr
transformed. The goal is to give all students access toCampus
a high quality education, while keeping them motivated• George Washington High School
throughout their high school years. Courses will beThe goals of the broad redesign initiative are to
offered to capture student interest, while providingimprove classroom instruction, provide more options
them with the knowledge needed to graduate and goand opportunities for students and their parents, and to
on to college or another form of post-high schoolmake Chicago schools performance more
education. The initiative also will provide teachers whoaccountable to parents and the community. The five
are well prepared and able to inspire these youngmost significant challenges to be addressed by the
people with a love of learning and desire to excel.Chicago schools are strengthening the curriculum,
Like many other large urban districts, traditional highincreasing rigor and relevance of coursework, adding
schools in the Chicago schools struggle to providedepth to course content, improving professional
challenging and relevant coursework with thedevelopment, and providing better school-based
personalized instruction necessary for all students.support.
Currently in the Chicago schools, only 47 percent ofThe curriculum areas of focus are English,
graduates go on to college, while 46 percent of 9thmathematics and science with teachers providing
graders dropout before graduation. Many of thosemore instructional support in these subjects. A new
who continue on to college find they need remedialschool accountability tool for parents is the scorecard.
classes to cover content they should have masteredThe card tracks a school’s performance in
in high school.areas, such as graduation rate, school climate, teacher
The Gates Foundation chose Chicago schools to beinformation, and student achievement. One area of
one of the first big cities to meet this challenge forimprovement of benefit to teachers, students and
today’s youth. The Chicago schools wereparents, alike, is the recruitment of and professional
eager to partner in this endeavor.support for high quality principals for the Chicago
Initially, Chicago schools will implement theschools.
transformation plan with 14 high schools, starting withThe initiative is one of the most thoughtful and
the 9th grade. The redesign initiative then expands tocomprehensive approaches to high school reform in
other grades and to 36 additional high schools over thethe nation with its aim of raising expectations and
next three years. The initial 14 schools are:preparing every student for success after high school.
• Bowen Environmental Studies Team (BEST)The initiative gives Chicago schools the potential to
• Carver Military Academysignificantly impact the quality of education students
• Chicago Military Academy at Bronzevillereceive in high school and put them on the right track
• Clark Academic Prep High Schoolto succeed after graduation.