Teacher Training Program Extends to New West Side High School

CHICAGO -- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced a $960,000 grant to the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) to support the creation of a new public high school on Chicago’s west side focused on improving graduation and college-readiness for neighborhood youth. The proposed school, Renaissance Academy High School, intends to open in fall 2007, and will also feature a teacher training academy aimed at preparing a new generation of high-quality teachers for Chicago’s secondary schools.

“This investment will allow us to expand our effort to train and prepare high-quality teachers for dozens of schools throughout Chicago,” said Dr. Donald Feinstein, Executive Director of AUSL. “With talented educators, CPS can provide all of its high school students with an excellent education and help more young people graduate ready for college and work.”

Working in partnership with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), AUSL currently offers a 12-month teacher preparation program that improves student achievement in underperforming elementary and high schools throughout the city. The proposed Renaissance school will be the second high school teacher academy to open in Chicago since 2004; AUSL previously established two elementary programs and one high school program with CPS.

AUSL resident teachers develop core teaching practices by working in classrooms with mentor teachers for one year while earning a Master of Arts in Teaching from National-Louis University. Graduates earn a $30,000 stipend during their training year, receive full Illinois certification and are required to work in an underperforming Chicago public school for at least five years.

In a broader effort to enhance the community, Renaissance Academy High School will offer students college-preparatory coursework in a smaller setting than traditional secondary programs. Research shows that teaching and learning are most effective in settings in which academic rigor, supportive student-teacher relationships, and hands-on or relevant curricula flourish.  These elements are most often fostered in smaller learning environments.

“Leadership in the classroom is a critical element in the effort to improve our high schools so they can provide every student in America with a high quality education” said Tom Vander Ark, executive director of education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “By focusing attention on teacher training and developing innovative practices to help students improve, we can have a greater impact on the goal of every student in America graduating with the skills and knowledge he or she needs to succeed in the 21st century global economy.””

Teacher training is a critical component of CPS’s comprehensive Renaissance 2010 reform plan. In October, district CEO Arne Duncan reiterated his commitment to providing the resources that high school teachers need to succeed, including coaching, training, improved learning materials, and expanded planning time.  With increased professional development opportunities, CPS is working to retain veteran educators and better prepare new teachers for the demands of the profession.

To date, the foundation has invested about $1 billion on efforts to improve the nation’s high school system, including supporting the creation of more than 1,500 high-quality high schools in 40 states and the District of Columbia. As of this past fall, more than 550 of these new and transformed high schools have opened around the country.

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Academy for Urban School Leadership was founded in 2001 by a group of Chicago’s most prominent education, civic, and business leaders. The mission of AUSL is to improve student achievement in the Chicago Public Schools by attracting, training, and retaining Chicago’s next generation of exceptional teachers and school leaders.