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Upcoming Events
Friday, February 10, 2012
Resource Coordinator Luncheon
Lavizzo Elementary School
138 West 109th Street
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
RSVP to Havilah Darnieder |
Free FAFSA Assistance
Did you know 90% of students who complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will enroll in college? The Office of the Chicago City Clerk has launched a new program to help students complete this critical first step in receiving financial aid for college. Starting today, and running through April 17, volunteer experts from Ladder Up will provide one-on-one assistance in completing the FAFSA to students and their families. Assistance is offered every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St., Rm 107. Click here to learn more. |
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Update on CPS Full School Day Planning
Chicago Public Schools recently released Full Day guidelines that give principals parameters for structuring the longer school day that will be implemented in the 2012-2013 school year. As part of the planning process, principals have convened Full Day Planning Teams tasked with identifying student needs, creating schedules that meet student needs within the framework the district has established, and working to structure a full day that makes sense for students, families, and teachers. Draft plans are to be submitted to Network Chiefs on February 24; the plans should be finalized in May.
We encourage you to talk to your principals about participating in the full day planning process. It is critical that the full day plans incorporate strong community school work, with a particular focus on how out of school time programming, wrap around services and strong parent and community engagement can support student achievement. If you're already participating in this important work, tell us about your experience by emailing Melissa Mitchell.
The Federation is devoting our next series of Stakeholder meetings to the topic extending the school day. These meetings will address CPS' full school day planning process, the critical role community-based organizations play in the planning and implementation, and using the community school model as a framework for extending the school day. Stay tuned for a list of upcoming Stakeholder meeting dates, topics and guest speakers.
More information on CPS Full Day Initiative is available here. |
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Federation Releases Brief on Community Schools & Full School Day
The Federation recently released a policy brief that outlines the importance of community schools and community-based providers as part of a full school day. We highlight the ways in which community schools are already extending learning time and engaging parents and families, and outline why it is critical that community school partners continue to receive funding through programs like 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
You can read the paper here. If you have questions or comments, please contact Jennifer Doeren. |
New State School Report Card
On January 24th, Governor Quinn signed HB605 into law, creating a brand-new state school report card designed to be an accessible, easy-to-understand source of information about schools for parents and communities. The report card presents the information contained in the old report card in more user-friendly ways and also adds information about a school's wrap-around supports and parental engagement efforts, among other things. Additionally, the new report card contains information about:
- Students' readiness for and successful transitions from one educational stage to the next
- Performance of similar schools and schools in the same community
- Learning conditions - including school climate and information about teachers
- Schools' unique characteristics, strategies, and offerings
The Federation for Community Schools was part of a team of education-focused stakeholders that developed the new report card. The development process included reviewing and learning from best practices from other states, and 60 focus groups across the state with parents, community members, school staff, and district leadership to ensure that the report card reflected what parents and community members needed to see. The new report card and the process undertaken by the team have become models for other states across the country.
The level of collaboration, stakeholder involvement and work that went into developing the new report card yielded a powerful tool for parents and community members. The new report card will be another source of data that community schools can use to identify student and family needs, and to assess progress towards school goals. A sample of the new report card, which will go into use in October of 2012, can be seen here. |
Turning Point 2012
June 18-20, 2012
Convened by Points of Light, this national conference on volunteering and service is the leading gathering of its kind, bringing together more than 5,000 service leaders to learn and cultivate new ideas for service, discuss challenges and work together to create solutions through the power of people. The conference will focus on how citizen-led solutions address unmet needs and propel us forward through innovative thinking and programs that affect societal change.
To register, click here. |
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