Chicago schools make gains in hiring better grade of teachers

Chicago Public Schools leaders have made positive strides to hire higher-caliber teachers for the system's most challenging schools, helping close the teacher-quality gap with other districts across the state, according to a study released Wednesday.

The report by the Illinois Education Research Council at Southern Illinois University noted that schools serving low-income and minority students were making gains after the think tank criticized Chicago Public Schools' efforts in a 2006 report.

The new study, "Leveling Up: Narrowing the Teacher Academic Capital Gap in Illinois," analyzed the credentials of teachers serving in Illinois public schools and singled out efforts by Chicago Public Schools, the state's largest school district, to hire more academically qualified teachers.

"Chicago, especially, has made remarkable progress in bolstering the caliber of its teaching force and serves as a positive example for other large urban districts," the study notes.

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