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Counselors not Cops: Research behind the call for police-free schools
Cities across the United States, including Minneapolis, Portland, Denver, Seattle and Oakland have decided they will no longer employ police within the schools.
Chicago should join them.
Chicago schools’ class sizes among the highest in the state
This CTU analysis of Illinois average classroom sizes showed early grade classrooms in the city are larger than those in 95 percent of the districts in the rest of the state. The analysis, using Illinois State Board of Education data, found that classrooms in Chicago’s public high schools have the fifth highest class size compared to other districts in Illinois.
read moreClass Size: Quick Facts and Resources
A collection of facts and resources on class size compiled by CTU in 2011. Learn about the effects of class size and related issues from studies like the Tennessee STAR project, and from both popular and peer-reviewed sources.
read morePay for Performance (Merit Pay) Is Not the Answer (PDF)
Overwhelming evidence of research on the use of merit pay, or pay for performance, to improve student achievement shows that such incentive schemes do not work. They fail because they ignore or undermine the collaboration, experience-based growth and supportive school and community environment essential to teacher growth.
read morePromoting Quality Instruction: Teacher Evaluation or Teacher Collaboration?
Dedicated, highly effective teachers play an important role in guaranteeing that all students receive the best possible education. Other school factors (e.g., leadership, curriculum, collaboration) are also significant, while non-school factors, including family income, health, mobility, hunger and stress, account for two-thirds of variation in student achievement. Instead of seeking solutions for these social issues, government at all levels, the business community and corporate media have turned their attention to teachers.
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