CPS students set a new graduation record

Chicago Public School students set a record high 5-year graduation rate of 82.5 percent this year, according to CPS and Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

“Despite the many challenges they faced, our students still managed to take another huge leap forward in their journey toward achievement and success thanks to the shared efforts of our CPS families, teachers, principals, and staff,” said the mayor. “This record graduation rate isn’t just a statistic, it represents a revolution in how we value education in our city, and how we support our students’ futures.”

The news came in an announcement that emphasized the academic progress of Latinx and African American students. Both groups achieved significant increases over 2019 with a 2.2 percentage point increase (from 82.3 percent to 84.5 percent) for Latinx students and 1.2 percentage point increase (from 76.8 percent to 78 percent) for African American students.

In total, the graduation rate for 2020 is 27 percentage points higher than that of 2010, when only 55.8 percent of CPS students earned a diploma.

A pair of initiatives helped fuel the increases. The Critical Remote Learning Initiatives includes devices and connectivity. The Critical Initiatives to Support Learning in all Settings includes additional support staff, in-class math tutoring, and curriculum equity.

“As a district we have made incredible progress over the past decade by transforming the experiences of our high school students through strengthening our focus on programming, social-emotional support and counseling,” said CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson. “Nothing has driven this success more than the hard work of our students, counselors, educators, and school leaders.”

Chicago Public Schools serves 355,000 students in 638 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.