WASHINGTON PARK — Chicago International Charter School’s Washington Park campus is making changes after being put on a CPS warning list for struggling schools Friday.
The school, at 110 E. 61st St., is promising changes after being rated a Level 2 school, the second-lowest level in the CPS ranking system, for a third year in a row, which landed it on a warning list and puts it in danger of being closed if it remains on the list next year.
“Performance at our CICS Washington Park campus is already improving, and we expect that progress to continue,” Chicago International CEO Elizabeth Shaw said Monday. “We are committed to doing whatever is necessary to fulfill our commitment to providing a high quality school choice for the families of Washington Park.”
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The charter network of 14 schools said Monday it anticipated the low ranking and has already installed a new middle school director and hired more instructional staff.
The network said it believes it is on track to rise above the Level 2 rating by next year.
The system gives schools one of five ratings to evaluate whether a school is successful in preparing students for colleges or careers. The top rating is Level 1+, awarded to schools that “demonstrate above-average performance that far exceeds expectations,” the district says. Level 3 is the lowest rating, and those schools could face action from CPS officials. The ratings are based on a number of factors, including standardized test scores, the growth of those scores, attendance rates and graduation rates.
The Washington Park school was one of one of six schools on the warning list and one of only two to be added to the list this year.
