University integrates education initiatives with Urban Education Institute
Already a national leader in education reform, the University consolidated its charter schools, teacher training programs, and groundbreaking research with an institute that brings new resources to bear on the challenges facing urban public schools.
The Urban Education Institute was established in 2008 to integrate and expand its many innovative programs that improve urban education at the pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade levels. As part of its fund-raising effort to support the institute, the University raised $63 million from foundations, corporations, and individuals in Chicago and across the country.
The institute includes the Consortium on Chicago School Research, the Urban Teacher Education Program, core functions of the Center for Urban School Improvement, and the University of Chicago Charter School, which operates four public elementary, middle, and high schools on Chicago’s South Side.
Innovative Approach to Urban Education
“The institute represents the next ambitious step in the evolution of the University’s innovative approach to education that links practice with the rigorous scholarship of our faculty,” said President Zimmer. “The creation of this institute reflects the high priority the University places on improving the quality of urban education.”
Timothy Knowles, the Lewis-Sebring Director, noted that the institute is creating a new model for urban school improvement by integrating academic research, teacher preparation, and the development of exemplary schools.
“A number of other universities are doing excellent work, but no other single place is connecting all of these programs at the scope and scale of the Chicago model,” he said. “By operating actual schools, we make certain that the needs of schools, teachers and students guide the research agenda, and that the approaches we develop through rigorous research are applied and assessed in the classroom. This continuous flow of knowledge makes us more accountable; it ensures that our work leads to real and measurable improvements in student learning.”
Long History of Outreach in Chicago
The University has a long, distinguished history of outreach and enrichment programs for Chicago teachers, students, and families, offered through a wide range of University units. The institute also will partner with the School of Social Service Administration, Chapin Hall Center for Children, the Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education, and other programs and individuals across the University involved in pre- K-12 education and youth welfare.
“In addition to conducting meaningful research, we pay a lot of attention to how we share the findings so that urban educators and schools make use of them to improve their practices and policies, not only in Chicago but across the nation,” said John Q. Easton, Executive Director of the Consortium on Chicago School Research. Start-up programs in New York City, Baltimore and St. Louis are emulating the consortium’s approach.
At the University’s charter schools, where students are selected by lottery without academic screening, students consistently outperform those at comparable schools in Chicago, and a majority of students meet or exceed state standards. Donoghue Elementary was one of 11 schools nationwide and the only school in Illinois recognized for its outstanding student achievement gains in a study on behalf of New Leaders for New Schools.
Urban Teacher Education Program
The institute has also expanded its Urban Teacher Education Program, which leads to a Master of Arts degree in teaching from the Graham School of General Studies, plus an Illinois Teaching Certificate for elementary grades. Currently, about 25 teachers per year graduate from the program, and that number is expected to double in the next few years with the addition of a high school preparation program in mathematics and science. More than 80 percent of UTEP graduates go on to teach in Chicago schools, Knowles said.
“Our model for teacher preparation combines intensive classroom teaching experience with rigorous intellectual coursework. Our teachers receive more than double the guided classroom experience than that offered in many traditional preparation programs,” he noted. “Equally important, we support our graduates for two years after they complete the program, providing a UTEP coach, tracking results carefully, and adjusting our training design based on evidence of student learning and achievement.”
By William Harms
