Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have made a notable jump forward in student reading gains, outpacing other large districts across the nation in their post-pandemic recovery, according to recent research highlighted by the Chicago Sun-Times. The Education Recovery Scorecard, a study conducted by Harvard and Stanford universities, revealed that Illinois, of all the states analyzed, achieved the top spot in reading gains from 2019 to 2023, and was one of just three states to exceed pre-pandemic reading levels.
Specifically, CPS students ranked third among major districts nationwide in reading growth for the 3rd- to 8th-grade bracket. "Any improvement of such a magnitude was a remarkable achievement since it implies that the average student learned 133 percent or more of the typical learning over the academic year last year," researchers pinpointed. Meanwhile, CPS' math scores continue to lag, echoing a pattern seen across other subjects and grades. Despite challenges in mathematics achievement where the state and district are still below pre-pandemic levels, CPS Chief Education Officer Bogdana Chkoumbova emphasizes the significance of the progress, telling the Chalkbeat, "The federal pandemic aid actually has allowed us to invest fully in the day-to-day what I call the bread and butter of education."
Chkoumbova attributes the gains to CPS spending its pandemic relief funding wisely, focusing on initiatives such as in-school academic interventionists, tutors, and instructional coaches for teachers. Although the federal funding is set to expire next year, the hope is that these strategies will secure future investment to maintain the momentum. However, a budget shortfall is looming with COVID-19 relief funds scheduled to be used up by September, leaving a potential $391 million gap for CPS, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.
In addition to the existing strategies, CPS has hired more than 180 instructional coaches to boost teacher support, particularly in schools with the highest needs. As for students, Black CPS students have shown substantial progress, "emerging from the pandemic two-thirds of a year ahead of where they were in reading than before the pandemic," Chkoumbova told Chalkbeat. Despite these advances, there's an acknowledged necessity to extend assistance to students who are still behind, including those with disabilities, and immigrant students.
In the broader scope of things, educational experts like Elaine Allensworth, of the UChicago Consortium, express a mixture of excitement and caution. The gains are clear, she says, but with low attendance and persistently high absenteeism, concerns loom over what educational aspects might be neglected in the rush to recuperate test scores. Chicago schools, often seen as an exemplar by outsiders, remain a point of interest for their collaborative and data-driven approach to education, as Allensworth suggested to Chalkbeat.
Looking forward, CPS officials are urging for an increase in state funding as Governor J.B. Pritzker readies to release the budget proposal soon. The state, CPS hopes, will step in to help sustain educational initiatives that have sparked this post-pandemic growth and prevent any prospective backsliding in student achievement once federal dollars dry up.
