Oct. 28--New rankings put out by Chicago Public Schools on Tuesday offer a mixed picture, with half of the district's schools staying at the same level or dropping below where they were last year.
Half of the schools were ranked higher than last year. But nearly half of those schools had been in the bottom two of the five levels used by CPS under its School Quality Rating Policy.
CPS officials said the rankings are a sign of improved performance during the 2014-15 school year, noting that more buildings ranked in the district's top category and fewer were in the lowest rung than last year, the first time the new rating formula was employed.
The district puts schools into one of five levels -- two more than used before last year -- based on factors such as test scores, student gains, attendance and college enrollment.
The rating system is meant to quickly show parents and educators how a given school stacks up. The district puts the top schools in "Level 1-plus" and "Level 1" categories, and those in the second tier in "Level 2-plus" and "Level 2" categories. Level 3 schools are the most troubled and often require additional support," though some schools in the upper levels also receive support based on the ratings.
The ratings hold potentially high stakes for school buildings, serving as a barometer for whether the lowest-performing district-run schools will be targeted for staff and operational overhauls. Charter schools that don't hit needed benchmarks under the rating system could also face sanctions or closure.
Most schools that received the Level 1-plus rating last year were able to hold onto the designation.
Chicago Tribune's Jennifer Smith Richards contributed.
jjperez@tribpub.com
