Chicago School District 299 Dr. Gregory L Jones, Principal 5015 S Blackstone Avenue Chicago, IL 60615 Document Generated On March 27, 2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 3 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 4 Additional Information 5
Introduction Every school has its own story to tell. The context in which teaching and learning takes place influences the processes and procedures by which the school makes decisions around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The context also impacts the way a school stays faithful to its vision. Many factors contribute to the overall narrative such as an identification of stakeholders, a description of stakeholder engagement, the trends and issues affecting the school, and the kinds of programs and services that a school implements to support student learning. The purpose of the Executive Summary (ES) is to provide a school with an opportunity to describe in narrative form the strengths and challenges it encounters. By doing so, the public and members of the school community will have a more complete picture of how the school perceives itself and the process of self-reflection for continuous improvement. This summary is structured for the school to reflect on how it provides teaching and learning on a day to day basis. Page 1
Description of the School Describe the school's size, community/communities, location, and changes it has experienced in the last three years. Include demographic information about the students, staff, and community at large. What unique features and challenges are associated with the community/communities the school serves? High School serves students in the Hyde Park and Kenwood community from grades 7-12. The 7th and 8th grade program (Academic Center) is considered a Gifted Program in which students across the city of Chicago may apply during their 6th or 7th grade years. The cap is 135 students per grade level. This enrollment and selection process is controlled by Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Students are automatically accepted to the high school if they live within the neighborhood boundaries. Students from across the city may also apply to our University of Chicago Magnet program which requires the following: No D's and F's, 90% attendance or greater, 50th %ile or greater on the NWEA standardized test. Our average high school grade level consists of approximately 370 students. Historically about 70% of our 8th graders matriculate to our high school, however this number has increased to above 90% in the past two years. Our total student population from grades 7-12 is about 1716: 72% low income, 87% Black, 4% Hispanic, 3% Asian, 2.3% White and 2% other. Our Special Education population is just above 7% and, although only around 1.2%, there has been a recent increase in English Language Learners. The Academic Center is traditionally more diverse than the high school. The community of Hyde Park is diverse socioeconomically, intellectually and culturally. Because of the proximity to the University of Chicago, as well as city center, many politicians, professors and activists live within the school boundaries. President Obama's Chicago home is blocks from the school grounds. The spring of 2012, Dr. Gregory Jones was selected as the new principal and the administration team was selected that summer. The school staff is composed of many veteran teachers who have been at the school more than 10 years, with a group of newer teachers with under 5 years of experience. The faculty consists of 108 teachers. 74% have earned an MA/MS degree, and 47% of these teachers have earned 30 or more hours beyond the MA/MS, and two are Ed.D's. We also have 7 National Board Certified instructors. The typical teacher has been at for 5.6 years, and has been in the profession for 8.2 years.in 2014, Kenwood became a Level One school (highest being Level 1+). Page 2
School's Purpose Provide the school's purpose statement and ancillary content such as mission, vision, values, and/or beliefs. Describe how the school embodies its purpose through its program offerings and expectations for students. At Kenwood, we are driven by a passion to provide a quality comprehensive educational program to our students. This passion guides our vision to fundamentally transform the way we approach teaching and learning. This past school year, we continued to meet the goals outlined by the Chicago Public Schools, while living up to the expectations of our parents. Examples include improvements in our high school graduation rate, ACT composite score, scholarship award letters, attendance rate, freshmen-on-track, and Advanced Placement pass rate. Simultaneously, our Academic Center students continued to impress with exceedingly strong performances on district-wide NWEA assessments. In addition, we launched our string orchestra program and the students had an opportunity to perform alongside professional musicians at the South Shore Cultural Center. In addition, our jazz band was a feature performance at the Chicago Symphony Center. They performed several selections arranged by Jason Moran, Artistic Director for Jazz at the Kennedy Center. Although the academic improvements and performing arts accomplishments are impressive, I am extremely proud of our commitment to building a welcoming school community where students can celebrate their individuality. We are a school full of smiles and happy students. This is the ultimate joy of being a principal. As we immerse ourselves in a new school year, we will continue to be reflective and explore new avenues to educate our students. In the same vein, we have set measurable goals that challenge us to be better educators. As a faculty, we are guided by the simple question: What can we do to better serve our students? MISSION STATEMENT: aims to develop critical readers, writers, and thinkers, who will strive within competitive academic institutions, as well as the global market place. VISION STATEMENT: graduates will become influential contributors and leaders in their local and broader communities. Page 3
Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement Describe the school's notable achievements and areas of improvement in the last three years. Additionally, describe areas for improvement that the school is striving to achieve in the next three years. US News & World Report Best High Schools US News & World Report Top 50 High Schools in Illinois Chicago Magazine Top 15 Public High Schools Three Dell Scholars: most awarded in Illinois Most Gate's Millennium Scholarships awarded at one school site in Chicago Public Schools Music Department received 8 Superior Ratings in City and State Competitions Chicago Public School's Arts Certification Top 50 Schools Award for AFS Study Abroad Level 1 Rating Highest Percentage of students (CPS) enrolling in college courses prior to high school graduation Top 3 schools with highest Scholarship dollars awarded to graduating seniors Greatest annual ACT gains Trend Data: Increase in Freshmen-on-Track, Attendance, AP Success, Graduation Rate, College Entrance, 5 Essential Survey Data and decrease in one-year drop out rate, level 4-6 infractions Areas for Improvement: increase in Advanced Placement success (earning 3+ on AP exams), increase in college enrollment and persistence, increase in ACT (EPAS) growth and attainment, increase in number of students graduating with college credit, increase in college courses offered on campus, increase in NWEA math expected gains (Academic Center), increase in student individual Grade Point Averages Page 4
Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. Curriculum Change: Known as the Growth & Equity Cohort Model, our teachers design curricula that are differentiated to meet every student at his or her instructional level. The fundamental aim is to maximize student learning and prepare all students for a competitive collegiate environment. The model centers on academic literacy, argumentative writing & discourse, strong math and science skills. Kenwood students have an opportunity to enroll in at least one or more of the 19 Advanced Placement (AP) Courses. They are also encouraged to participate in the dual enrollment program at Kenwood (3 courses), the University of Chicago, and Community Colleges of Chicago. Students interested in career specific programs can apply for admissions to the biomedical, robotics engineering, and digital media programs. Outside the core subjects, Kenwood students have access to an award-winning performing and fine arts program. In 2012, Kenwood launched a new Biomedical and Robotics Engineering program in which students must apply. Kenwood is the only school in the city of Chicago and 1 of 12 in the state of Illinois to be certified in both of these Project Lead the Way programs. In recent years, attendance trend data has revealed an increase in Hyde Park families selecting Kenwood as a high school option. Enrollment has been increasing and Kenwood was given the former middle school (next door) to house the 7th and 8th grade program as well as some other specialty programs. This will alleviate overcrowding. Page 5