Publication

Chicago School Guide

Chicago School Guide

Kids First Chicago is an advocacy organization that supports policies to expand the number of high-quality school seats in Chicago. Its tool, the Chicago School Guide, helps parents navigate the high-quality school options in the city. The site also includes a new parent-friendly version of the SQRP available for beta-testing to the public. 2018.

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"Parents 2018: Going Beyond Good Grades"

"Parents 2018: Going Beyond Good Grades"

Learning Heroes explores why parents believe their child is at or above grade level, even when that child is not performing at that level. This report dives into what drives that disconnect, and what states and districts can do to provide parents with a more accurate view of student performance. 2018.

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"Apples to Apples: Common School Performance Frameworks as a Tool for Choice and Accountability"

"Apples to Apples: Common School Performance Frameworks as a Tool for Choice and Accountability"

To help families make sense of the growing array of school choice options, some cities are developing new city wide performance systems called common school performance frameworks (CSPFs), a tool for measuring school performance using a defined set of metrics that applies to all schools, including district-run and charter public schools. This report focuses on the development of these frameworks. 2016.

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Eight Cities

Eight Cities

Many communities that create SPFs do so as part of larger improvement strategies. All five of the SPFs highlighted in this report are also featured in Bellwether's report "Eight Cities." This website tells the story of urban school systems that have seen student outcomes improve at a faster pace than other cities. 2018.

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