To&Through Project Blog

Nearly half of all off-track sophomores in the 2013–2014 CPS freshman cohort were on-track as freshmen. They graduated from high school at a rate of 43%. Their peers who remained on-track sophomore year graduated at a rate of 93%. Read more surprising research about the sophomore year.

Thousands of schools around the country still use rewards as a central technique despite clear research evidence about their ineffectiveness. When we monetize student behaviors, we create a transactional relationship between students and adults, relying on extrinsic rewards rather than grappling with the deeper question of why we think students need incentives in order to perform well in school. Read more about why — and how — educators across the country are beginning to rethink their rewards systems.

Read our summer newsletter to learn about our new research, data tool, and resources ranging from leveraging student voice to unearthing trends in Chicago Public Schools graduates' experiences after high school.

As we prepare to welcome all students back to school this fall, it is vital that we learn more about how the last year-and-a-half has affected them. In April, the six schools in the To&Through Middle Grades Network gave their middle grade students an assignment that asked them: “How have you changed and grown since the beginning of the pandemic?” Students’ responses took several different forms: poetry, drawings, playlists, or written reflections to describe their experience. Read their responses.

If Chicago is going to significantly increase the completion rate for all CPS graduates, the next step is to focus on providing more systematic support for CPS graduates with less than a 3.0 GPA. These students, who make up more than half of CPS graduates, don’t always have access to selective schools with high graduation rates, but they are accepted into college, they want to earn certificates and degrees and some do graduate. However, many require additional academic, financial and social supports on campuses.

The findings from our new report Navigating the Maze: Understanding CPS Graduates' Paths Through College suggest that some long-held beliefs about persisting in and completing college may be incorrect. During the college choice process, adults supporting students should be clear with themselves and clear with students and their families about how CPS students actually move through higher education systems. 

This blog post provides a high-level summary of findings and implications from our report College During the Pandemic: Immediate Enrollment and Retention of CPS Graduates in Fall 2020.

Read our winter newsletter to learn about updates to our data tools for educators and stakeholders, new middle grades success resources, and our recent research releases and op-eds.

"Karen was a powerful education leader in Chicago who impacted teachers, schools, and students across the city, but behind the scenes, she was also a great friend who pushed me and many others to be kind, reflective, and human," writes To&Through Project Director Alex Seeskin.

At the To&Through Project and the UChicago Consortium, we have done a lot of critical reflection over the past year about the ways we show up as individuals and as an organization, the limitations of descriptive research and data, and the importance of framing our findings around equity.