The other side of the story on Chicago's Urban Prep (where all seniors got into college)

[Hannah Bell]

Statistics taken from 2008/09 CPS Charter and Contract Schools Performance Report, p. 174-175
for 11th graders: this is the class which had a 100% acceptance rate into college.


http://www.ren2010.cps.k12.il.us/docs/ONS_PerfReport.pdf


Students/teacher:

Urban Prep: 13.5 to 1
District average: 19.5 to 1

*Urban Prep has fewer students for every teacher than the district average.


Percent low-income students:

UP: 79.6%
DA: 83.4%

*Urban Prep has a lower percent of low-income students than the district average.


Limited english:

UP: .2%
DA: 14%

*Urban Prep has a lower percent limited English students than the district average.


Special ed:

UP: 13.2
DA: 12.1%

*Urban Prep has a slightly higher % of SPED students, but: since "all" urban prep students got into college, we can guess that "no" urban prep special ed students were *severely* disabled or mentally handicapped (e.g. retarded, severely autistic, etc.). Or else students who were, left.


Percentage of 11th grade students meeting and/or exceeding state standards:

UP: 15.3%
DA: ~30%

* No precise number is given for the district; % is graphed on chart "PSAE Student Performance Over Time" only.


PSAE (State testing) scores, percent meeting standards:

Reading: 24.6%
Math: 12.7%
Science: 8.5%

* No comparison is given for district-wide scores.


ACT Average composite score: 16*

* National average composite score in 2001 = 21. 36 is the highest possible. No comparison given v. district-wide scores.

http://www.act.org/news/releases/2001/08-15-01.html


UP Combined drop-out & transfer-out rate = 10.1%.*

* No comparison given v. district-wide drop-out & transfer.



The "miracle" sounds a little different depending on which facts are reported, & how they're reported.

[leftstreet]

1. Wow. Very interesting stuff

Thanks for posting this

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. If only 4% read on grade level

I want to know where the hell they are going to college.

[Hannah Bell]

4. 24.6% at grade level in the 11th grade. this is the class where 100% got into college.

15.3% at grade level in combined areas.

v. 30% district-wide.

urban prep advantages: lower % poverty, 0% ESL, smaller classrooms, less severely disabled SPED population, more (private) funding.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Huh?

So where the hell are they going to college? Charter University?

[Hannah Bell]

8. the list i saw was all pretty good schools. not sure what the story is there.

but there's evidentally quite a bit more to the story than the happy-face articles about "100% success!" are presenting.

like 10% of the class leaving every year.

[tonysam]

29. It sounds like a bullshit p.r. stunt. n/t

[msanthrope]

45. What's the difference in the poverty level between the charter and the district? n/t

[Hannah Bell]

48. the charter has a lower % of low-income students than the district.

[Bozita]

11. Charter U? ... I'd love to see the list of "colleges"

[ecstatic]

33. why do you begrudge them so? I've worked with students from charter type programs

in college. While they scored below the average student on aptitude exams, their course grades were pretty good because they had a solid work ethic. In fact, some of the smartest people I know (with SAT scores of 1400+) actually ended up dropping out of school due to bad habits while those who scored lower (SAT scores in the 1000-1190 range) graduated with 3.0+ GPAs.

[Hannah Bell]

53. no one "begrudges" them. but the fact is, this school in the 11th grade performed *under*

the district average by a big margin.

like at 50%.


something the original happy-face article neglected to mention. in fact, it gave completely the *opposite* impression.

i.e. it was intentionally deceptive.

the students in this charter performed just slightly better than the students at central high, where all of the teachers were fired.

but this school had the advantage of higher SES, no ESL, more funding, smaller classrooms, longer hours, etc.

[Starry Messenger]

3. With those kinds of numbers I'm sure all schools could place more seniors into college.

I think at public schools the sped kids have to take all the same exit exams. This isn't kids with just dyslexia. Our high school serves the county day students with Down's syndrome, severe autism and other developmental disabilities. Ceramics is one of the classes they mainstream into, so I get a lot of these kids. They are sweet as pie but they aren't going on to four year colleges. I sincerely doubt charter schools are even scratching at the surface of this population.

[The Midway Rebel]

5. Not to mention immeasurable and absolutely applaudable support from the community & local business.

The schools donor list of cash, goods and services is very impressive. It is a damn shame every public school in America is not supported with such fervor.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Reminds me of University Academy

If we only had a Helzberg family to donate to all of our schools :eyes:

[The Midway Rebel]

17. Gordon Parks Elementary is nice too.

It is awesome to have your class size limited to about a dozen. Gender separation works well too. Tremendous support form the community. Too bad public schools cannot afford it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. But do they have corporate donors?

I used to know a couple teachers at Gordon Parks.

[The Midway Rebel]

23. Oh yeah they get a wee bit of corporate support.

The Bacchus Foundation Joseph and Pat Henry
Barton P. Cohen & Mary Davidson Cohen Char. J.E. Dunn Construction Co.
Ray and Linnea Brock James B. Nutter & Co.
Commerce Bank Jewish Heritage Foundation
Bill & Dorothy Curry Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumnae Association
Doug & Pam Curry Kauffman Fund for Kansas City
Curry Family Foundation Kenneth L. and Eva S. Smith Foundation
Davis, Bethune & Jones Charitable Foundation Mendon F. Schutt Foundation
Education for Kansas Foundation Milbank Manufacturing
James and Patricia Ericson Morgan Family Foundation
Francis Family Foundation Bob & Dianne Priest
George K. Baum Foundation Sosland Foundation
H & R Block Foundation St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Nancy Hawley Stanley H. Durwood Foundation
Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City William T. Kemper Foundation
Helen S. Boylan Foundation Frank & Virginia Young

[exboyfil]

24. The lack of ELL I think is the biggest

advantage in this school's "better" performance. I have seen how disruptive to the learning process that even a few ELL are to my daughter's education. No slam on the teachers but having the science teacher needing to go to the Spanish teacher to get translations done is not the way to run a railroad so to speak.

It is interesting that these statistics conclude that, even with huge support and low class sizes, the results are mediocre at best. Either the process is wrong or, after a certain level of resources are expended, only marginal improvements should be expected in certain demographic groups (not based on race but based on the family support/conditions at home).

[The Midway Rebel]

43. Agreed. Also, the number of students on an IEP in the classroom.

In public school teaching, I have had as many as 8 kids out of 24 on an IEP. That has a negative impact on the classroom. I recently had a long term sub gig at a new charter school. I asked the principal if I could see the files on students with IEP's for three of my classes. By law, as the teacher, I have a right and a need to know. I was told not to worry about it.

Overall, I had a great experience teaching in that urban charter school.

But I must wonder if that charter school had ANY students with IEP's.

[proud2BlibKansan]

55. Don't ask me how few of those folks have ever given a dime to help the kids in the KCSD

The names I recognize put their own kids in private schools.

Imagine what the traditional public schools could do if they each had such an extensive donor list.

[AwakeAtLast]

9. If teacher/student ratio was 13:1 in every school

Every student would be able to achieve in this manner. And yet, what is every school corp. in the country doing? Cutting teachers.

:banghead: x( :argh:

[Hannah Bell]

14. achieve in *what* manner? only 15% of 11th graders met state standards!

[AwakeAtLast]

41. I was going by the "accepted into college" standard

The statistic on "meeting state standards" does not explain much, either.

[Hannah Bell]

49. neither does the "accepted into college" standard, unless you know the particulars.

like, what kind of college is it that accepts students below grade level in reading, math & science?

[riderinthestorm]

56. Apparently Northwestern is such a school that accepts students w/ below grade avg skills

Amazing, eh.

I'm actually going to believe that someone at Northwestern bent the rules enough to admit these students in an effort to bolster the charter school bullshit. Universities can and do admit below par students (athletic scholarships come to mind particularly) but those are high value students who get a lot of personal effort ($$$) expended upon them to allow them to stay in the program.

The charter school students are a different animal.

I'm guessing these colleges/universities admitted them but won't fund them and/or won't give them the remedial pre-admission help they'd need to succeed. The charter school will get it's PR spin but Northwestern (as one example) won't have to deal with the deficient students.

[Hannah Bell]

58. 15% met standards. it could be top students made the regular cut at n-western.

or it could be as you say.

given the links between the charter leadership & n-western, though - i think there was at least some degree of personal attention -- unlike what a student in the public schools would get.

[anonymous171]

10. Smaller class sizes really is all you need I guess.

That and additional funding from private donors.

[Hannah Bell]

13. to do what? put 15% of your students at grade level? no big success there, even with

smaller classes & extra funding.

[Fumesucker]

12. I'm continually impressed with your ability to dig out inconvenient facts..

Thanks for this, it's very interesting and quite illuminating.

[Hannah Bell]

15. after awhile, you figure out they mostly lie to cozen the masses into buying into their preferred

"solutions".

once you understand that, the inconvenient facts are heavy on the ground, if you're willing to put in the time.


but there are plenty of people who don't want to hear them -- witness how very few of the people touting the "success" at this school are showing up on this thread to discuss the other part of the story.

or maybe they're just charter shills, who knows.

[Hannah Bell]

16. & i'm going to kick this again so they can't pretend they don't see it.

[hayu_lol]

18. Thanks Hannah...I'd also like to see what schools...

this class of superachievers got into.

[Hannah Bell]

19. i saw a list; i remember thinking they were pretty good schools.

now i begin to wonder on what basis some of the admissions took place.

if i remember correctly (don't quote me) it seems like one of the administrators had ties to northwestern university & northwestern admitted some largish fraction of the students...but my memory may not be correct.


http://www.northwestern.edu/

[Hannah Bell]

20. you know, this is starting to piss me off.

per this:

http://multicultclassics.blogspot.com/2010/03/7569-urban-prep-academy-is-perfect.html

the overall college acceptance rate for Chicago public school graduates is 52.5 percent.


but last year, only 15% of this school's students met state standards, v. ~30% district-wide.

so how come the 100% acceptance rate? & to some good schools, too.


let me say, i'm not pissed these kids got in, lots of kids with mediocre school performance wind up doing *better* in college, for various reasons. i don't personally believe top scores are required for college success.

but i'm pissed that public school students performing at the same level *didn't* get in, & will *never* get in, never get the same chance.

why is that?

"the first day of freshman year at Urban Prep, students go on a field trip to Northwestern University. The message is clear: This is your future."


hmmmm: northwestern. why northwestern?

cherchez la board.

Board of Directors

Judith Armstead, Malcolm X College (Retired)

Kendrick Ashton, Perella Weinberg Partners

Darryl Cobb, ACT Charter School

Merl Code, Nike, Inc.

Alexandre du Buclet, The Exeter Group

Oscar Johnson, The Private Bank

Loann King, Kennedy-King College (Retired)

Paul King Jr., UBM, Inc.

Tim King, Urban Prep Academies (teachs course on "philanthropy" at northwestern)

Joseph McCoy, Perkins Coie

Stephanie Neely, Treasurer, City of Chicago

Mary Pattillo, Northwestern University

Steven Rogers, Kellogg School of Management

Tim Russell, Quaker Tropicana Gatorade

Kurt Summers, Tidal Capital Partners

Joe Terry, Oprah Winfrey Show

Chris Zorich, Christopher Zorich Foundation

[Hannah Bell]

21. k

[Starry Messenger]

30. Well, that's fascinating.

I'd also like to know how many of those Urban Prep Northwestern freshmen are also finishing their four year degrees. Are they "going on to college" and *graduating*? Probably too soon to tell, but I would bet that we are going to see some funny numbers from that.

[ecstatic]

36. Never get the chance? Maybe if "concerned" teachers would stop telling kids what they can and can't

achieve, they would be more likely to apply to schools like Northwestern. Even if their credentials don't measure up, with drive and determination, anything is possible.

[Hannah Bell]

50. sorry, but most kids will have a very difficult time getting into a top-twenty-five college like

northwestern when they're scoring below grade level in math, reading & science, & their act scores are below average.

because normally, kids with those scores aren't admitted unless other factors are taken into consideration.

[ecstatic]

61. "aren't admitted unless other factors are taken into consideration"

Yes, they typically won't be admitted without other factors being taken into consideration. That's fine. But they shouldn't have a bully telling them what they can and can't achieve. UP's field trip to Northwestern? Perfect. It's no wonder they believed in themselves enough to apply to good schools and get accepted (due to "other factors taken into consideration").

Some of them won't make it through college but some will. Many people with great high school records don't make it through college. It's not your call to decide who should or shouldn't even try.

[rucky]

25. +1

[JCMach1]

26. 10% seems awfully high for dropouts at a school where parent participation is mandated!

Good catch with the facts...

Also with the Northwestern folks on Urban Prep.'s board...

As I also noted elsewhere... It really isn't so hard to get into a college. There are plenty of schools who want students.

[msanthrope]

44. 4% dropout rate. 6.1% transfer. n/t

[JCMach1]

60. transfer meaning they 'washed out' of the program... how many students

does that happen to in public schools?

[Hannah Bell]

27. k

[Brooklyns_Finest]

28. I feel bad for these kids

How many of them will actually make it pass their first year?

[Gin]

32. maybe the charter folks will create a college within a college

for these graduates....not surprised to see a connection to the board of Northwestern....follow the money to prove their programs work.....

I hope the kids do well.

[ecstatic]

34. With the right study habits, many will

I'm sure they thank you for your concern.

[dsc]

39. funny how in another thread about teachers you extoll the virtues of test scores

but now they aren't all that important. Which is it?

[ecstatic]

40. I never did what you're claiming. I said some kids in high school can barely read

That is a problem, regardless of how high someone scores on an aptitude test.

[Hannah Bell]

47. it's not an "aptitude" test.

[JVS]

46. Obviously they measure teachers' skill but not students' abilities.

:eyes:

[Hannah Bell]

51. some will. but so will some public school grads at the same level.

and unfortunately, the public school kids with the same scores don't have a connected school CEO -- so they're not going to get the chance.

[Mz Pip]

35. That's a thought I had, too.

Those student:teacher ratios don't happen in colleges.

[n2doc]

31. Fascinating stuff

I had thought that they had cherry picked the students at UP, maybe they did, but it sounds more like they (School admin, press and government) just colluded to make it all look like they were doing a great job. Shades of Houston and the scam that led to NCLB.....

the 15% meeting state standards number should be shouted out every time this comes out. Stunning.

[Hannah Bell]

52. I think there was some cherry-picking. for example, this school apparently

has no severely autistic kids (which public schools do) or mentally retarded kids (which many public schools do), nor esl kids (which most public schools do). and remember, the no child left behind fiction is that even those kids will, by 2014, meet regular standards.

So in that sense (i.e. they were able to exclude those kids,) the profile is different from the chicago schools as a whole.

[fishwax]

37. kick for great info

Thanks for putting all that together :kick:

[kiva]

38. Kick for the great info n/t

[EFerrari]

42. Thanks, Hannah Bell.

:kick:

[LWolf]

54. K & R nt

[dsc]

57. This presents an interesting context

to the statistics regarding admitance to college. It is hard not to beleive that the connections between this high school and presigious universities helped immeasurably in getting those students admitted. That isn't saying they won't do well, they might. But what is relevent here is the extent to which those school may or may not have been better than the public schools in Chicago. It is hard to prove that case with the data in the OP. I am glad for the kids in those schools that their lives were improved but it seems they only got a Bush like admittance to a good school.

[eppur_se_muova]

59. Lies, damned lies, and statistics. How many times do we need to learn this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lies,_damned_lies,_and_statistics