Education

The Trust helps nearly 200 schools raise the bar in teaching and learning.

For school systems to improve significantly, major shifts are required that go beyond what is typically described as school reform in the United States. The nations that lead in academic achievement develop broad and deep courses of study that are coherent from grade to grade, set expectations that all students will succeed and help them get there, support well-prepared teachers and create infrastructures that enable educators to work collaboratively on continuous improvement.

The Chicago Community Trust's education grants program focuses on developing effective schools and systems in the Chicago region by improving instruction. Our grants support implementation of practices and policies that have proven to be successful in national and international school systems.

Strengthening Instruction in Schools and Districts

Grants this year include supporting instructional improvement in:

• 40 elementary schools across the North Side and near Southwest Side of Chicago to strengthen math and science instruction
• 30 elementary and high schools to begin implementing the Common Core State Standards in English/Language Arts
• 30 elementary and high schools to begin implementing the Social Science 2.0 framework developed by Chicago Public Schools
• District-wide coordination of arts education in schools by arts organizations in partnership with CPS
• 20 elementary schools to continue developing and improving dual-language programs as well as teaching and learning of English language learners in six schools in CPS
• 76 elementary and high schools to continue to strengthen mathematics teaching and learning in grades 6-9 in 33 west and south Cook County districts
• Four elementary schools to improve literacy teaching school-wide in Chicago-based Lutheran schools
• Six elementary schools to strengthen mathematics instruction and eight elementary schools to strengthen science instruction in schools supported by the Big Shoulders Fund, an organization that supports Chicago-based Catholic schools.

With its 2011 grants, the Trust and the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust continued to support strengthening teaching and learning in high-needs schools in literacy, mathematics, science, arts, social science and multilingual learning. Essential components of that work include: 1) raising expectations for learning in these core content areas, 2) enhancing teachers and school leaders' knowledge and skills to teach to these higher goals, and 3) building school infrastructures to enable educators to work together on these goals.

The Trust also made a grant to support an expert advisory group to assist the Chief Education Office in decision-making around literacy, mathematics, assessment and other critical areas of work.

Trust staff also worked closely this year with the interim leadership of the Chicago Public Schools and more than 100 contributors to develop a district plan, Elevating Our Vision for Learning: Improving Schools for All. This plan provides specific recommendations for the district based on what is known about effective schools.

See the complete list of 2011 Education grants