Changes to Academic Center to High School Enrollment Policies

[Kristin]

Last night at our Academic Center it was said that CPS will change its 6 year program for Academic Center students and force them to apply to the center's high school, thereby ending the current 6 year plan. Has anyone heard about this?

[RL Julia]

I'd imagine it's school by school. My son was at the Taft AC where they initially said you were guranteed admission to Taft if you were at the AC but the reality seemed different - more like you might be guranteed admission to Taft high school - not necessarily the IB program.... but then again, it seems like the rules change if your child makes an application to another high school. I know Lane and Whitney's programs are six year programs and admission is guranteed to high school. Was at Whitney's curriculum night last night and didn't hear anything about any changes.

[westrogersparkmom]

I posted this elsewhere but I have an 8th grader at Taft. We got an email last week stating that Taft AC kids now have automatic admission to Taft IB. Good news for those kids who bombed finals and ended up with a B, or kids whose ISATs plummeted presumably because Taft didn't offer as much prep as the previous school, etc

[JenFG]

That would be a huge disadvantage for the ackies who didn't transfer from a K-6 school (who would need to transfer somewhere for 7-8 anyway). Anyone who transferred from a K-8 might have been assured of better grades--for the points system--if they had stayed at their K-8. Seems like a bad idea to me.

[RL Julia]

JenFG - Could you explain that again - I am not following you.

Westrogerparkmom - I am happy to hear you got that letter - the question I have is does the the letter gurantee automatic admission if you kid applies to other high school programs? If not, I would ask that question to Taft. We were told that ackies had a slot at Taft for high school but then when kids decided to apply for other high school programs, they had to re-apply to the Taft IB program as well. Since I didn't know any kids who didn't want to at least try for another school, I have no idea how the slot thing worked if you didn't apply elsewhere.

[westrogersparkmom]

JenFG- I'm not following you as well. Point system is the same for AC kids as elementary kids. From your use of the term 'ackies' you may be referring to Whitney, which is a more difficult program than Taft.

RL Julia- Now you have me worried and I will attempt to clarify with Ms. Eischen. I'll paste the text of her email below. By the way is the High School Planning Night necessary for those people obsessed like us to attend?

Taft Academic Center Families:

High School application time is quickly approaching. A change to the process this year; each student will receive an Eligibility Letter generated by the Office of Academic Enhancement (OAE). The Eligibility letter will contain your child’s seventh grade test scores and final grades, and a list of some of the school and programs for which he/she is eligible. The eligible programs will also display their required screening process. CPS Academic Centers evaluate grades on a high school grading system. Therefore, Academic Center letters are postponed as OAE processes the grades. These letters will be available to Taft Academic Center parents and students at the High School Planning Night, October 10th at 6:00pm in the Taft Auditorium. Information regarding the application process, as well as, information about Taft high school programs will be presented. It is essential that Academic Center parents attend.

Another change which will benefit Taft Academic Center students is the guaranteed placement in the Taft International Baccalaureate Program for eligible students meeting all requirements. Requirements include: applying to Taft’s IB Diploma Programme online and attending a required information session. Taft has fought hard for this change and we are pleased to announce this amendment to the process which will make educating your child in a gifted educational program seamless.
Key Dates:
October 1-Online PIN request to apply process opens (www.applycps.edu)
October 8-Application opens
October 15-Interactive high school directory available (www.cpshighschooldirectory.com)
December 7-Online PIN request ends
December 14-Application deadline and deadline to submit missing academic information
Week of February 18-Notification letters are mailed to students’ homes

[JenFG]

To clarify:

I have heard that the ACs' programs are so rigorous that many previously straight-A students get their first B's and C's. Algebra in particular has been mentioned. If a child at a K-8 who was accustomed to straight A's (300 points on the application) transferred to an AC for 7th and 8th but then had to re-apply to the high school, he'd be at risk of lower grades (fewer points) on the HS application than if he had stayed comfortably at the neighborhood, magnet, or RGC school for 7th and 8th and continued to scoop up straight A's.

In my mind, the ACs were place to get a great education while ensuring your spot the high school program. If you got in, there'd be a sigh of relief like, "Glad we won't have to worry about high school!"

I'd love to learn more, so please let me know if I'm misunderstanding. (I used "ackies" because I thought it was universal--I didn't know it was a WY term.)

[RL Julia]

WestRogersParkMom - I'd definitely check up on this - but mostly because it sounds confusing. The only thing I'd worry about is the "Taft Academic Center students is the guaranteed placement in the Taft International Baccalaureate Program for eligible students meeting all requirements."

While no one is saying that Taft is the Harvard of CPS, it does have admission requirements and if you completely bombed 7th grade, you might not automatically meet all the requirements.

JenFG - that's the thing about the AC's - you pay your money and you take your chances - and quite frankly it's a little bit about what the school thinks they can get away with. Lane and Whitney are highly desireable schools that lots of kids really want to attend - hence their AC curriculums are based on a six year subscription to their school and they really discourage in any number of ways (so I hear) kids transferring out. When I attended both open houses last year, both of these schools were really adamant that you were NOT signing up for two years at their school but six. Taft doesn't have that kind of pull and there would probably be a minor parental revolt if they tried, so it has a slightly different curricular model (which I actually like better) and they are a little cooler with kids leaving after 8th grade. It's always a crap shoot with this stuff - do you put the child in a school that is more rigorous when...?

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