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Vol. XVII Number 2 CHICAGO OCTOBER 2005 INDEPENDENT REPORTING ON URBAN SCHOOLS TESTING TYKES AS CONTROVERSIAL HEAD STARTTESTING COMES UNDER FIRE IN CONGRESS, CPS SEARCHES FOR A BETTER WAYTO MEASURE PROGRESS SWITCHTO HALF-DAY STATE PRE-K HURTS WORKING PARENTS In Updates: No recess, few gym classes are the norm PAGE 20 A Publication of the Community Renewal Society www.catalyst-chicago.org FROM THE EDITOR Charting a course to create preschool for all in Illinois he results are in and sitting on the gover- or planning ahead for obstacles. It nor’s desk. For two years, members of the ranked favorably last year in a nation- al listing of state preschool programs. Illinois Early Learning Council deliberated But with only 75,000 children the best strategies for creating a statewide enrolled in state pre-K, we’re less T than halfway toward reaching the system of high-quality preschools for 3- and 4- ultimate target of serving 188,000 3- year-olds. What they came up with is a list of rec- and 4-years-olds. A hefty price tag of ommendations that lay the foundation for a two- $415 million is attached to this proj- ect, but its one that can win rebates Veronica Anderson year program to serve poor families and children down the road through reductions in who are otherwise at-risk of failure in school. special education, high school dropout rates and social problems Now, early childhood advocates ed world of universal preschool is in that boost costs to society. and educators are keeping their fin- the realm of access and accountabil- There’s a long road ahead, and the gers crossed that Gov. Rod Blagojevich ity. The term “universal” is itself a bit next move for Illinois will come out will publicly endorse all of these rec- of a misnomer, say Rand researchers, of the governor’s office. Let’s hope ommendations and make a financial because most states target their pre- he’s quick on his feet. investment to move them forward. “It K programs for certain groups of is just a matter of what makes sense to children, often defined by family ABOUT US I am pleased to introduce do first,” says Sessy Nyman, who income or other criteria. Even then, our new Springfield correspondent heads government relations for Action not every child in those designated Patrick J. Guinane, who has been cov- for Children, an advocacy group. groups is served. ering the statehouse for three years. Meanwhile, the Rand Corpora- Further complicating access are His predecessor, Daniel C. Vock, has tion released a study this summer eligibility formulas, often with strict moved to Washington, D.C., to that examined eight states’ nascent income guidelines, that exclude become a writer for Stateline.org. efforts to make preschool programs some working poor families who I would also like to extend a warm universally available. In the report— cannot afford to pay for high-caliber welcome to Catalyst Chicago’s newest “Going to Scale with High-Quality preschool programs. Instead, those editorial board members. They are Early Education: Choices and Conse- families are likely to tap friends or rel- Carlos Azcoitia, principal, Spry ele- quences in Universal Pre-kinder- atives who can care for their children. mentary and high schools; Ray Boyer, garten Efforts”—researchers explain And fear is a factor, too. As pre- public relations consultant; Joan some of the challenges state policy- school is swept into the public edu- Crisler, principal, Dixon Elementary; makers are facing. cation accountability movement, and Sara Spurlark, retired director of Not the least of these concerns is some worry that academic skills will leadership development, Center for how cash-strapped states pay for it, get more attention than equally Urban School Improvement. Begin- particularly when many of those stud- important social and emotional ning this year, Dion Miller Perez of ied are relying on the federal govern- development. Case in point: A two- the Telpochcalli Community Educa- ment’s tightfisted domestic spending year-old nationwide test for Head tion Project will serve as board chair program. Two other concerns are find- Start pre-K students only assesses lit- and Vivian Loseth of Youth Guidance ing enough teachers and administra- eracy and math skills. Only now are will be vice-chair. Also, fond farewells tors who have the background and federal officials considering adding to departing board members Hazel B. credentials to operate top-notch another section that would measure Steward and Tony Wilkins, whose preschools, and making sure that non-academic areas. insights will be greatly missed. efforts to integrate pre-K with other Only two states—Georgia and social supports do not conflict with Oklahoma—have traveled the full those agencies’ child welfare goals. distance to universal pre-K. Illinois, Besides funding, the most diffi- by most counts in the Rand report, cult terrain, however, in the unchart- has been adept so far at steering clear 2 Catalyst Chicago October 2005 PRESCHOOL QUALITY Taking pre-K up a notch he push for more academic content in preschool already has led to questionable testing of Head Start Tpre-kindergarteners. Chicago is taking a closer look at its own preschool programs with an eye for improvement. Another test to measure what youngsters learn over time may be next. COVER STORY: PAGE 6 HALF-DAY TAKES ITS TOLL AT MAYS Englewood preschool loses students when district eliminates full-day format. PAGE 8 PRE-K GOAL: ‘FUN AND ENGAGING’ A Q&A with Chief Early Childhood Education Officer Barbara Bowman. PAGE 9 TOO SOON FOR NATIONAL HEAD START TEST TO BEGIN DRIVING DECISIONS A new study finds problems with the two-year-old test for preschoolers. PAGE 10 JOHN BOOZ NEXT UP: TOUGHER STANDARDS TO ACCREDIT PRESCHOOLS Children make homemade Play-Doh with their Highlights of what’s to come and how one local Head Start stacks up. PAGE 12 teacher at Midway Head Start. ON THE COVER: Preschool teacher Audrey Simmons hugs 2000: CPS announces its plans to a new student in the district’s only preschool program for launch a fee-based preschool pro- low- and middle-income children. PHOTO BY JOHN BOOZ In gram in February 2001. Parents will pay $5,800 for 48 weeks of service, a review relative bargain. Board officials say they hope that the program will 1990: To help the Interim Board grant motivate middle-class parents to give DEPARTMENTS Notebook 4 raises, the Illinois Legislature OKs Chicago’s public school system a try. UP CLOSE Page 14 Viewpoints 16 diverting, for three years, some property Some existing providers and other taxes earmarked for teacher pensions. advocates complain that the price will Abstinence-only curricula Comings & Goings 24 comes under fire Eventually, the diversion becomes not cover the program’s costs; as a permanent, but the pension fund result, they fear that the board will UPDATES Page 18 remains healthy. end up subsidizing preschool service SEE OUR NEW WEB SITE for middle-class children, while needy Renaissance Watch: 1995: The School Board unanimously applicants face new Go to the Catalyst web site, children miss out on under-funded agrees to increase, in phases, the review process www.catalyst-chicago.org, free programs. for news and resources on Chicago number of science and math courses Survey: recess, gym school reform, including: required for graduation. The plan will classes shortchanged For a school reform timeline stretching Spanish translations require 1,200 new classrooms and CPS tells schools to find Citywide data from the 1980s 240 new teachers; it will cost up to back to 1985, go to www.catalyst-chica- 15 minutes for exercise Reform history news highlights $20 million. go.org and click on “reform history.” Catalyst Chicago October 2005 3 Q&A Notebook with ... Charles Kuner TIMELINE Social studies teacher, Farragut High Sept. 7: First day Sept. 12: Dropouts Sept. 19 High schools Two years ago, Farragut High social stud- Although enrollment has The district announces that CEO Arne Duncan ies teacher Charles Kuner and former declined by about 5,000 stu- its current one-year dropout announces a 10-year, $50 colleague Matthew Katz, a lawyer who dents since last year, atten- rate of 10.4 percent is the million to $100 million plan taught in the school’s legal careers pro- dance on the first day of lowest in a decade, and to jumpstart academic gram, began working on a project that school reaches 92 percent, credits a new Department of achievement in neighbor- would serve the community as well as one percentage point higher Dropout Prevention. But it’s hood high schools. The dis- educate their students. The end result than a year ago. Businesses unclear how accurate the trict and a management con- was the David Cerda Legal Clinic, named announce prizes that figure is, since the district sulting firm spent six months after a Farragut graduate who was the schools, students and fami- calculates it by simply divid- analyzing data and gathering state’s first Latino judge and Latino lies can earn—including gro- ing the number of students advice for improvement appellate court justice. Students in ceries, rent or mortgage pay- who left school by total from teachers, students, par- Kuner’s class help volunteer lawyers with ments and movie tickets— enrollment and excludes ents and dropouts. Among legal research and also learn about public for high attendance. CEO alternative high schools. The the elements of the plan are policy-making and government. Associ- Arne Duncan admits he may Consortium on Chicago new three-year curriculum ate Editor Maureen Kelleher talked with face criticism for offering School Research tracked sequences in math, science Kuner about the clinic’s work.