Renaissance 2010
Encyclopedia
Renaissance 2010 was a program of the Chicago Public Schools
school district
of Chicago
, Illinois
, United States
.
In 1997, the Illinois General Assembly approved 60 charter school
s for the state. The student achievement, increased demand, and strong parent satisfaction in these new schools set the stage for the Renaissance 2010 initiative, announced in June 2004 by the Chicago Public Schools and the City of Chicago. Renaissance 2010 called for 100 new schools by 2010. This bold plan set up a competitive, community-based selection process to determine the best school operator for each site.
Under Renaissance 2010, the Chicago Public Schools sought to create 100 high-performing public schools in designated communities of need by 2010. These schools were to be held accountable for performance through 5-year contracts while being given autonomy to create innovative learning environments using one of the following governance structures: charter, contract, or performance.
, a contract school, and a performance school.
Contract Schools
Performance Schools
Charter Schools
A 2009 study by University of Chicago researcher Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach found more mixed results, that "test scores in the Renaissance schools slightly lagged those of students with similar backgrounds who attended neighborhood schools — though not to a statistically significant degree. But results were far from homogeneous, with some Renaissance schools posting decidedly stronger test scores compared to others." Schanzenbach further notes that new schools generally have higher hurdles to face than established ones, and that the best practices used in the Reniassance schools were "on the right track.”
Another study released in 2009 by SRI International, a California-based independent research institute, indicated that Renaissance 2010 schools have performed about on par with Chicago Public School-owned schools, with potential for further improvements. Demonstrating the divisive nature of the Renaissance 2010 plan, proponents have used this study to argue that the new schools are solid foundations for better education, while opponents have used this same study to claim that the new schools provide little to no gain for their cost and social disruption.
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
school district
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In 1997, the Illinois General Assembly approved 60 charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
s for the state. The student achievement, increased demand, and strong parent satisfaction in these new schools set the stage for the Renaissance 2010 initiative, announced in June 2004 by the Chicago Public Schools and the City of Chicago. Renaissance 2010 called for 100 new schools by 2010. This bold plan set up a competitive, community-based selection process to determine the best school operator for each site.
Under Renaissance 2010, the Chicago Public Schools sought to create 100 high-performing public schools in designated communities of need by 2010. These schools were to be held accountable for performance through 5-year contracts while being given autonomy to create innovative learning environments using one of the following governance structures: charter, contract, or performance.
Renaissance 2010 Schools Types
There are three different types of Renaissance schools, a charter schoolCharter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
, a contract school, and a performance school.
- Charter – Charter Schools are independent public schools. Free from many state laws, district initiatives, and board policies, charter teachers are employees of the nonprofit governing board or an education management organization hired by the board. Charters are operated pursuant to Illinois Charter Law (ILCS 5/27A).
- Contract – Contract Schools are a newly created public school model established as a part of Renaissance 2010. Contracts are managed by independent nonprofit organizations in accordance with Performance Agreements. Contract schoolteachers will be employees of the nonprofit. Contract schools are operated pursuant to Illinois School Code.
- Performance – Performance Schools employ CPS staff and are CPS schools that have freedom from and flexibility on many district initiatives and policies.
List of Renaissance 2010 Schools
Despite legislation that capped Chicago charters at 30, former CPS schools chief Arne Duncan and Mayor Daley allowed many new charter schools to open under the auspices of a single charter within the Renaissance 2010 initiative. For example, private charter operator Chicago International was allowed to operate 12 charter schools under its single charter.Contract Schools
- Austin Business and Entrepreneurship Academy
- Chicago High School for the ArtsChicago High School for the ArtsThe Chicago High School for the Arts offers a four-year college preparatory curriculum combined with intensive training in the performing and visual arts...
- Chicago Academy High School
Performance Schools
- Bronzeville Scholastic Institute (at DuSable)
- Infinity Math, Science, and Technology High School
- Lindblom Math and Science Academy High School
- Multicultural Arts High School (at Little Village)
- Pershing West Middle School (at Douglas)
- Rickover Naval Academy High School (at Senn)
- School of Social Justice (at Little Village)
- Sherman School of Excellence (First Turn-Around School)
- Suder Montessori Elementary School
- Tarkington School of Excellence
- Daniel Hale Williams Preparatory School of Medicine (at DuSable)
- UPLIFT Community School (at Arai)
- World Language High School (at Little Village)
Charter Schools
- Aspira Charter School (at Haugan)
- Bronzeville Lighthouse Charter School
- The Catalyst SchoolsThe Catalyst SchoolsThe Catalyst Schools, a system of Chicago-based charter schools, operate out of the city's Austin and North Lawndale neighborhoods. The two schools in the system are the Catalyst Schools—Circle Rock Charter and the Catalyst Schools—Howland Charter....
- Chicago International Charter School - Avalon/South Shore Campus
- Chicago International Charter School - Ralph Ellison Campus
- Chicago International Charter School -Wrightwood Campus
- Chicago Virtual Charter School
- Choir Academy Charter School of Chicago
- DuSable Leadership Academy of Betty Shabazz International Charter School
- Erie Elementary Charter School
- Galapagos Elementary Charter School
- Legacy Charter School
- Noble Street Charter School - Pritzker College Prep Campus
- Noble Street Charter School - Rauner College Prep Campus
- Noble Street Charter School - Golder College Prep Campus
- Noble Street Charter School - UIC College Prep Campus
- Noble Street Charter School - Gary Comer College Prep Campus
- Noble Street Charter School - Rowe-Clark College Prep Campus
- Noble Street Charter School - Johnson College Prep Campus
- Noble Street Charter School - Bulls College Prep Campus
- Perspectives Charter School – Calumet Campus
- Providence Englewood Charter School - Bunche Campus
- Barbara A. Sizemore Academy of Betty Shabazz International Charter School
- University of Chicago Charter School - Donoghue Campus
- University of Chicago Charter School – Woodlawn High School Campus
- UNO Charter School - Bartolomé de las Casas Campus
- UNO Charter School - Carlos Fuentes Campus
- UNO Charter School - Rufino Tamayo Campus
- Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young MenUrban Prep Charter Academy for Young MenUrban Prep Academies is a nonprofit organization that operates a network of free open-enrollment public all-male college-preparatory high schools in Chicago. Founded in 2002, and receiving its first Charter approval from Chicago Public Schools in 2005, it operates the nation's first all-male public...
- Young Women's Leadership Charter School
Criticisms
In 2005, the Chicago Teachers' Union's president, Marilyn Stewart, was uniformly negative in her assessment of Renaissance 2010, stating that "Chicago's charter schools had scores that were in the basement. [...] All Chicago-based charter schools had scores below the statewide average in third-grade reading, third-grade math, fifth-grade reading and eighth-grade math".A 2009 study by University of Chicago researcher Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach found more mixed results, that "test scores in the Renaissance schools slightly lagged those of students with similar backgrounds who attended neighborhood schools — though not to a statistically significant degree. But results were far from homogeneous, with some Renaissance schools posting decidedly stronger test scores compared to others." Schanzenbach further notes that new schools generally have higher hurdles to face than established ones, and that the best practices used in the Reniassance schools were "on the right track.”
Another study released in 2009 by SRI International, a California-based independent research institute, indicated that Renaissance 2010 schools have performed about on par with Chicago Public School-owned schools, with potential for further improvements. Demonstrating the divisive nature of the Renaissance 2010 plan, proponents have used this study to argue that the new schools are solid foundations for better education, while opponents have used this same study to claim that the new schools provide little to no gain for their cost and social disruption.
External links
- http://www.fairtest.org/ChicagoReportExecSum2007.html
- http://epx.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/471?rss=1
- Renaissance 2010's Official Website
- District 299 The Unofficial Chicago Public Schools Blog