Prepping for a big test that can determine where you go to school sounds like something a high school senior would be stressed by, not an eighth grader.
For Chicago Public Schools‘ eighth graders, the move to high school can require more than just showing up to the nearest school–some students apply and test for seats at top ranked high schools across the city.
The Chicago district’s GoCPS program is a way to make it simple for families to apply to elementary and high schools citywide. Information on each school (including charters and magnet schools) is available on the site, as is the application information.
Typically, GoCPS program applications are due in November, but the application deadline has been pushed back to December 15 to accommodate families who will be affected by the imminent closure of seven Acero charter school campuses, reports Chalkbeat Chicago.
Read on for what you should know about GoCPS applications.
Which schools can students apply to?
Most Chicago schools are represented on the GoCPS system, including career and technical education schools, charters, service leadership academies and neighborhood schools. Students and their parents can search through schools by distance to their home, filter by specialty and more.
For applicants interested in one of the 11 rigorous selective enrollment high school programs at CPS, seats are limited and highly competitive. Applicants can also only apply for up to 6 of the programs.
How does GoCPS determine admission?
Admittance into some of the most competitive high school programs hinges on two factors–test scores and the “tier” the student resides in. The students with the top 30 percent of test scores are admitted, followed by the top four students from each tier. There is no sibling preference given to these applicants, nor is there preference given if a parent works at the school.
Every address in the city is assigned a tier. Tiers are based on a number of factors derived from census data, including median family income, percentage of single parent households and achievement scores from nearby elementary schools.
For magnet schools, the process is different. The school places a preference on sibling applicants in order to keep families together. Once the sibling seats are filled, students with parents who work at the school are next in line for preference. Then, in some cases, 40 percent of the seats are assigned to applicants within a 1.5 mile radius. Finally, if there are open seats, applicants are grouped by tier and given a lottery number, ensuring each tier is equally represented in the final pool of randomly selected applicants.
Some schools use the tier system in the entry process, while others do not. Check the school’s page on the GoCPS site to see if it uses tiers in its selection process.
To find your tier, go to go.cps.edu and click on “School Search.” Then, type your address in the box at the top of the page.
Chicago Public Schools is moving away from school choice
Mayor Brandon Johnson has made it clear that his administration favors students attending “neighborhood schools” without a multi-step admissions process. The CPS Five-Year Strategic Plan approved this year contains a priority for the district to make every local CPS high school option more appealing.
The district’s neighborhood school priority has three major goals — increase the percentage of students attending schools within their neighborhood, reduce travel distance between a student’s house and school and increase community collaboration to create equitable access to top notch programs in every community.
Follow Chicago Parent on Instagram.
