CHICAGO EDUCATION ALLIANCE (CEA)

About the Chicago Education Alliance's Projects

In order to systemically improve education in Chicago and in Illinois, the Chicago Education Alliance seeks to find, develop, test and promote model programs and link concerned parties. Through the CEA's Executive Committee, made up of the presidents of the participating universities and the Chicago public schools' chief officers, the Chicago public schools and the post-secondary system have a forum to communicate and share ideas and needs; from this exchange programs and proposals are developed addressing the needs of the different partners. Depending upon the project or problem, there is a common response and all participants are involved or specific partners combine to address the situation. The Alliance serves as a catalyst for the creation of or dissemination of successful programs in a variety of areas, including, fostering professional development strategies for educational leaders, establishing a technology network to advance communication, and initiating school improvement and student achievement strategies.

The CEA is about capacity building, and through it's efforts in successfully researching, developing and implementing various professional development and school improvement initiatives have been initiated in Chicago. This disemination is accomlished by building broader acceptance of such efforts as part of the system-wide agenda for the Chicago Public Schools. Broader dissemination is expected by sharing successful models throughout the state and the nation, through the CEA's connections with Illinois governmental agencies and with national educataional organizations and the U.S. Department of Education.

The current major projects the CEA is involved in include:

(For links to CEA partners' website or the website of any participating institution in a particular project, please click on any of the CEA Partners links).

The GEAR UP Alliance

The CEA, with Northeastern Illinois University as fiscal agent, was awarded a $31 + million grant under the U.S. Department of EducationŐs Gaining Early Awareness & Readiness for Undergraduate Programs initiative in 1999 and an additional five-year grant for more than $6 million in 2000. The Chicago GEAR UP Alliance, an unprecedented partnership of Chicago area institutions, addresses the critical needs that impede student achievement. The Alliance includes Northeastern Illinois, Roosevelt, DePaul, and Loyola Universities, the University of Chicago, Truman College and the City Colleges of Chicago, along with 18 other educational, business and cultural institutions

The major purpose of GEAR UP is to establish university -- school collaborative networks that will result in greater numbers of inner city youth attending and succeeding in college. University partners are working within school networks to improve the academic performance and social readiness of students in grades 5 - 12. A wide array of programs for parents, students, teachers, and administrators is being implemented at each of the schools .

The success of GEAR UP is being measured over a five year period in terms of the extent to which the 15,000 inner city youth in the involved schools have significantly increased their chances for entering and succeeding in college. More than 1,200 teachers are provided professional development programs to ensure substantial improvements in the classroom Click on the GEAR UP icon to the left for more information on the CEA and the Chicago GEAR UP Alliance or visit the Chicago GEAR UP Alliance website at www.gearupchicago.org for further details on school network activities.

Scholarship Fund & Awards Program

The CEA officially launched a Scholarship Fund Program to help increase the number of students from GEAR UP schools attending local universities. Who Wants to Win A Scholarship? is a locally televised competition with academic questions arranged by difficulty, modeled after the popular millionaire show. Contestants are seniors from the ten GEAR UP high schools who qualify for participation in the final broadcasts by successfully matriculating through qualifying rounds at the local school level. To maximize the educational benefits of the competition, comprehensive study guides (for both teachers and students) are distributed. The program encourages students as young as seventh and eighth grades to envision and prepare for college.

CUSP

The National Science Foundation awarded a five-year $11 + million grant over five years to the Chicago Public Schools for the Chicago Urban Systemic Program (CUSP). The program will develop a Citywide University Professional Development Partnership among area colleges and universities over the next five years. The CEA is responsible for convening meetings and coordinating activities with higher education institutions to design professional development courses in mathematics and science. The CEA has developed an RFP process for universities to offer these credit courses for re-certification purposes to teachers in more than 50 Chicago public schools. The primary goal of CUSP is to upgrade the content and pedagogical knowledge of practicing mathematics and science teachers by creating three professional development areas: a K through 4 specialization program, a grades 5 through 8 endorsement program, and a grades 9 through 12 certification program. The CEA serves as liaison between the Chicago public schools and the universities, as well as coordinating an innovative communication project with IBM, Learning Village. More than 5,000 CPS teachers will benefit from the program..

IPLP

The CEA brought together public and private universities to prepare and submit a Teacher Quality Enhancement Program (TQE) grant to the U.S. Department of Education in 1999. A $12 + million five-year, grant was awarded. The Illinois Professional Learners Partnership (IPLP), focuses on improving teacher quality through positive change in recruitment, preparation, licensing, certification, and on-going support of teachers. University faculty from five partner higher education institutions-- Illinois State University (as fiscal agent), Loyola University, Northeastern Illinois University, Roosevelt University and the University of Illinois-Champaign-- are bringing together College of Arts & Sciences and College of Education faculty to improve each institutionŐs connection to K-12 schools. The CEA executive committee serves as the Institutional Support Board to monitor the project and to assist with policy development at the cross-institution and State levels to institutionalize IPLP outcomes. For more information on IPLP, please go directly to the project web site: www.iplp.org.

K-16 Articulation Grant: Project Align

A Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) grant of over $600,000 over three years, which will allow the City Colleges of Chicago to align standards, assessments and curriculum in English, Mathematics and Science, between high schools and colleges. The CEA assisted in the writing of the grant and serves to coordinate the conversations and activities between the City Colleges and area universities.

What's New & Publications

CEA Partners

CEA Staffing & History

Chicago GEAR UP Alliance

Chicago GEAR UP Alliance Web Site