Chicago school officials are considering a new system for determining how the city's schools measure up.

CPS chief Arne Duncan believes the system, based on a 0-3 point scale in categories that include test scores and attendance, will provide a better measure of school performance.

"We worked very hard to come up with an evaluation system that would recognize school growth and the needs of different schools with different populations," Duncan says in a press release. 

According to the release, the new system was developed with input from "principals, parents and other stakeholders."

The system would take into account scores on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test, the Prairie State Achievement Exam, ACT assessments, plus attendance, drop-out rates and Advanced Placement class enrollments.

A school achieving Level 1 - defined as elementary schools with 30 or more points and high schools with 26 or more points - would be considered a model of "best practices for the rest of the district," according to school officials.

Elementary schools scoring 20 or less and high schools scoring 16.9 or less would be placed on probation for a minimum of two years.

Schools showing improvement can accumulate extra points.  A school that has 80 percent of its students meeting or exceeding state standards on an ISAT science test, for example, would receive three points. If the school's scores show an improvement of 6 percentage points over the previous year, it would receive another three points.

Board of Education members are scheduled to consider the issue at tomorrow's meeting, beginning with public comment at 10:30 a.m. The regular meeting begins at about 12:30 p.m., followed by an executive session closed to the public. .

If approved, the new performance policy would go into effect for the 2008-09 school year which begins Sept. 2.

Charter schools would be exempt, since those schools must meet accountability plans included as part of what is typically a five-year contract.

Also Wednesday, the board will consider the renewal of six charter school systems, at a cost of $60 million, and installing a National Defense Cadet Corps program at Sullivan High School at 6631 N. Bosworth, at a cost of $162,612.

The program, which would include military and leadership classes, would be run by the U.S. Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps.

CPS Board of Education meeting

• When: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday
• Where: CPS Central Office, 125 S. Clark.
• Public sign-up: 8-9 a.m.

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