Applying to Charter High Schools

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Applying to Charter High Schools – CICS

Chicago International Charter School is one of the oldest and largest charter networks in Chicago. Unlike what I will call “unitary” networks, like Noble Street School and UNO, CICS employs different models in its schools, and contracts with different charter management organizations to run them. Five of CICS’ schools include high schools, but only two are self-contained 9-12 schools. Two (Larry Hawkins and Quest) are middle-high schools and one (Longwood) is a 3-12 school. Practically, I think parents who post here would likely be interested in only two of the schools, Northtown Academy (Peterson & Pulaski) and ChicagoQuest (North & Clybourn).

I have not visited Northtown so I don’t have a personal impression. Test scores are not as good as Noble Street’s but they are close. They have a high percentage (94%) of students meeting/exceeding NCLP standards and a high percentage (93%) accepted to college. Because CICS has a multi-campus charter but is legally considered a single school, there are few spots available in the Northtown lottery. That means most of the places go to students attending a CICS elementary school. I do recommend applying to Northtown, however, because CICS, like the the other schools I am including in this thread, focuses on maximizing individual potential. Go to the open house, ask tough questions, and form your own opinion. If anyone attends the open house, I would appreciate seeing your reactions here. Northtown’s open house is scheduled for Nov. 3 from 10 am to noon.

ChicagoQuest is a new school (now in year three), modeled on Quest to Learn School in New York. The school will eventually have grades 6-12; this year it’s 6-8. Because it’s new they have had plenty of available spaces, but I think that once they have more of a track record, it will be increasingly hard to get in.

There is a lot of information on line if you Google Quest to Learn New York. The following description of ChicagoQuest was in the MacArthur Foundation newsletter:

“The school will use game design to teach students how to become systems thinkers. Games work as rule-based learning systems, creating worlds in which players actively participate, use strategic thinking to make choices, solve complex problems, seek content knowledge, receive constant feedback, and consider the point of view of others. Students at Chicago Quest become both game designers and game players in their quest to learn.

“Katie Salen, who founded the Quest to Learn in New York City and now serves as the school’s executive director of design, says the curriculum is designed to mimic the learning that takes place during game play – it is collaborative, inquiry based, and supports experimentation.”

I have visited Quest and it’s very interesting. We are not talking about (just) computer games. In one room students were working together to create a board game based on facts about U.S. Presidents. In another they were doing something math-y that I did not understand very well. (I took math so long ago, and teaching methods have changed so much, that I no longer expect to understand what middle schoolers are doing in math. But I can still solve the problems.) Quest deals with students entering at different proficiency levels by having extra periods of language arts and math for those who need it, while other students are taking more advanced courses, like app design.

I think Quest is a very interesting choice especially for students who are bright but unmotivated. This really turns learning on its ear. And it prepares kids for employment in the 21st century by teaching the skills needed in the new workplace. They don’t have any open houses formally scheduled, but they are usually held on Wednesday evenings from 6-8. Call ChicagoQuest at 773-565-2100 and tell them you are interested in attending an open house.

The CICS application can be downloaded beginning November 5 from the website at http://www.chicagointl.org/students-...lications.html. You can’t apply online, however – download the application, fill it out, and mail or email it in so that it’s received at least a week before the lottery, which is held in April. You will need to include proof of residence and the student’s birth certificate. Call a week after sending to confirm receipt.

Note that, unlike many charters, CICS does accept new students in every grade if there are spaces available. So, even though ChicagoQuest starts with 6th grade, it will accept students for next year in 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th grades.