Who is CPS failing?

Since 1996, CPS has flunked hundreds of thousands of students, with a total actual cost of about $1.2 billion, and with unimaginable fallout costs to society. Our entire society loses out when we tell students they are failures. Why does CPS continue to spend $100 million a year on a policy that annually hurts 10,000 children academically and emotionally? There are real interventions that could help. See reports and alternatives at PURE. And if that’s not enough, here’s a report from 1998 entitled the Predictable Failure of Chicago’s Student Retention Program.

CPS must stop flunking students.

Following is my analysis of CPS’ flunking policy’s disparate impact on African-Americans.

Enrollment, Summer School, and Retention by Race in 2008 for 3rd, 6th, and 8th Graders

failinpie1

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The pie charts show that African-Americans constitute 48% of the CPS student population in 3rd, 6th and 8th grades, but 68% of those required to attend summer school, and 74% of those retained.
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The bar graph above shows what percentage of each race subgroup was required to attend summer school. For example, 40% of all CPS 3rd, 6th and 8th grade African-American students were required to attend summer school.
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The bar graph above shows what percentage of each race subgroup was retained. For example, 16% of all CPS 3rd, 6th and 8th grade African-American students had to repeat the grade.