UPTOWN — Two Uptown schools were given the highest grade possible in the newest school quality rating reports, which is based on numbers from previous school year.
John T. McCutcheon Elementary School, 4865 N. Sheridan Rd., and Joseph Brennemann Elementary School, 4251 N. Clarendon Ave., were both ranked Level 1+ in the Chicago Public Schools report, which "uses a broad range of indicators to measure schools by students’ success, including student attendance, academic growth and school culture."
The schools were two of 170 to received the ranking, an improvement from last year when 162 schools received the highest rank, CPS said in a press release.
“As our students continue to build on their academic progress of the past several years, we’re also encouraged to see the quality of our schools moving in the right direction, thanks to the hard work of our principals, teachers, parents and students. The latest school quality ratings help parents understand the best options for their children, and guide the District’s efforts to improve quality at all our schools,” said CPS CEO Forrest Claypool.
Schools can receive five ratings: 1+, 1, 2+, 2 and 3. The ratings "provide students, families and educators with the most accurate and comprehensive assessment of schools’ quality" and help "tailor educational supports to meet each school’s unique needs," according to the press release.
Both McCutcheon and Brenneman improved from level 1 ratings last year. The schools are also among 343 district run schools now in good standing these schools "are granted greater autonomy on school improvement planning and school budgets," according to CPS.
To receive the rating, McCutcheon made big improvements in the English Learner category, which is based on growth on ACCESS exam, and reading growth among African-Americans and diverse learners, the reports show.
In 2015, the African-American priority group performed better than 79 percent of schools in the reading growth category, a 52 percent increase from 2014. From 2014 to 2015, the Diverse Learners group went from outperforming 1 percent of schools nationally to better than 99 percent. English Learner progress also jumped from about 37 percent to 74 percent of students making target growth, the report shows.
Brenneman made steady improvements in the attainment category and the My Voice, My School survey, which improved from "not yet organized" to "organized."
Brenneman Attainment on NWEA Improvements:
• Reading attainment for 2nd grade: improved from better than 34 percent to better than 53 percent.
• Math attainment for 2nd grade: improved from better than 17 percent to better than 62 percent.
• Reading attainment for 3rd-8th grade: improved from better than 60 percent to better than 66 percent.
• Math attainment for 3rd-8th grade: improved from better than 22 percent to better than 40 percent.
Brenneman's 2014 ratings are available here and their 2015 ratings are available here.
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