A Chicago charter school designed specifically to meet the needs of youths with alcohol and other drug problems recently graduated its first class -- with most of the students going on to college.Sixteen students graduated from Chicago Preparatory Charter High School in June. Of those, 14 are moving on to college (including one student headed for Yale), and another is entering the military. The school, which opened last fall, accepts up to 50 students from the Chicago Public Schools who have a history of substance abuse but have shown a desire to get treatment and complete their education, according to Susan Weed, director of Chicago's Office of Substance Abuse Policy. Weed, a 1995 Join Together Fellow, is a board member at the school, which her office founded.
Students at the Chicago Preparatory Charter High School learn at their own pace, utilizing a curriculum known as "mastery learning." Class subjects are similar to those offered in a typical high school -- math, social studies, science, English, health -- and students work toward a regular high school diploma. But within each class, students work on different levels of schoolwork, progressing only when they master each segment. Teachers stand by to assist students as they work, Weed said.
What makes the school work, said Weed, is the combination of a low student-teacher ratio (12:1) -- which allows each child to receive personal attention -- and support services designed to facilitate recovery from addiction. "Kids get a feeling of their own importance, and that helps their self-esteem," Weed noted.
Weed said the school, which has its own building separate from mainstream students, is similar to a therapeutic community. Days start with a goal-setting session, and each student attends in-school counseling sessions each week. The school stays open to 6 p.m. daily to accommodate 12-step meetings and other after-school programs; school staff includes a clinical program director and two counselors. Students are subject to random drug testing.
While studies have shown that there may be more than 1,000 students in the Chicago schools who could benefit from the charter school, Weed said enrollment has been capped to keep class sizes small. School officials also want to avoid making Chicago Preparatory Charter High School a "dumping ground" for the district. "Kids have to apply to come here, and they have to be serious about school and recovery," Weed said, noting that there are currently 35 students on a waiting list to get in. "This is not a school for 'problem students.'"
Like most start-ups, the first year for the school was not without its problems. "Kids who are used to being labeled troublemakers would almost dare school officials to suspend them," noted Weed, who said that the solution found most effective was to implement in-school suspension. A pair of outreach workers and even probation and parole officers were kept busy trying to make sure students showed up for school each day -- often without much help from parents. "I was surprised about the degree to which parents would facilitate their kids bad behaviors by making excuses for their problems," said Weed. "We make a real affirmative effort to bring kids out to school. We'd rather have them show up at 1 p.m. than not at all."
Both student and teacher turn-over was high, Weed said. Some students relapsed and left school for treatment; others ran afoul of the law and ended up in jail. Burnout among teachers was also an issue. "This is a tough population," said Weed. "All of the teachers we brought in had experience with special ed populations or at alternative schools, but addicts are different." She hastened to add, however, that the school now has a core of teachers and administrators that she believes has the mix of experience and personality to meet the challenge.
The effort seems to be paying off. The class valedictorian graduated in June with a 4.62 cumulative average (on a 4.0 scale), and will attend the University of Illinois at Champaign -- despite continued problems at home, as evidenced by the fact that his mother showed up at graduation strung out on drugs. The saludatorian plans to go to Spellman College and is active in local volunteer projects.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is currently funding an evaluation to help determine if the Chicago school is a model that other communities can emulate. The foundation also has given the school a grant to pay for its clinical services, and other foundations have made smaller grants to support the project. The Chicago Preparatory Charter High School also receives the same per-student, per-diem payments as other Chicago schools.
Besides Weed, other Join Together Fellows involved with the school include board chair Patricia McPhearson-Davis ('96), Principal Judy Riggins ('98), and health teacher Marla Kushner ('97). Board member Rafael Rios also is a Join Together Fellow, as is Jim Tibensky, who is coordinating outdoor recreation programs for the school, and Shellie Coleman, who recently facilitated a board retreat, said Weed. "The school project got some people involved in the fellowship program, and the fellowship program got some people -- like Jim -- involved in the school, so it worked both ways," she said.
Susan Weed: 312-747-2606; sweed@interaccess.com
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