UChicago Impact

New research underscores the importance of family engagement in reducing chronic absenteeism. When looking at Illinois schools' 5Essentials results, schools with strong family engagement had "a 39% smaller increase in students' chronic absenteeism between 2019 and 2022—a period when schools nationwide were experiencing a rise in chronic absenteeism."

New Research Finds a Crucial Factor in Reducing Chronic Absenteeism Just as strong connections with parents can boost students' academic achievement, new research shows the same is true in fighting absences.

On this , let's spotlight the critical need for supportive and inclusive work environments for teachers. A safe, valued, and inclusive atmosphere is one essential ingredient for educators' well-being, encouraging them to stay in the classroom and create nurturing learning spaces for students. Check out our Co-CEO Elliot Ransom's presentation on prioritizing school climate for teacher support and retention. Together, let's prioritize mental health and well-being in education. https://uchicagoimpact.org/news/presentation-how-5essentials-can-help-improve-school-climate-and-reduce-teacher-turnover NNWEAHHoughton Mifflin Harcourt

Presentation: How The 5Essentials Can Help Improve School Climate and Reduce Teacher Turnover | UChicago Impact UChicago Impact provides empirically-based tools and supporting services to create reliably excellent schooling.

New research from the UChicago Consortium on School Research shows that school climate and organizational conditions, specifically the 5Essentials, are better predictors of school effectiveness than test scores.

The Key To A Better Future For Students May Be Social-Emotional Growth, Not Standardized Test Scores Research suggests that having schools work on social and emotional development is important for future student success.

UChicago Impact’s 5Essentials team partnered with NWEA to host a webinar for educators and stakeholders that elevated the importance of creating supportive learning environments for students. Watch the full webinar.

Getting supportive schools right: The intersection of place, culture, and growth A closer look at the attributes and benefits of supportive school environments, along with experience- and evidence-based strategies for getting started. Learn how these safe, welcoming spaces can enable teaching and learning and foster a culture of growth.

New research findings show the 5Essentials is predictive of improvement across multiple outcomes in both high- and low-poverty schools. Read the full report.

5Essentials Survey in CPS The 5Essentials Survey has been administered in CPS since the 1990s and measures a school’s strength in five essential organizational conditions that influence student learning: Effective Leaders, Collaborative Teachers, Involved Families, Supportive Environment, and Ambitious Instruction. This st...

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We have exciting updates to share about our work!

New research from the UChicago Consortium on School Research reaffirms that the 5Essentials Survey is strongly predictive of school improvement.

5Essentials Survey in CPS The 5Essentials Survey has been administered in CPS since the 1990s and measures a school’s strength in five essential organizational conditions that influence student learning: Effective Leaders, Collaborative Teachers, Involved Families, Supportive Environment, and Ambitious Instruction. This st...

WEBINAR: We’re excited to be partnering with NWEA to discuss the importance of creating supportive learning environments for students. Join us tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET! Register here:

NWEA The challenges of teaching and learning during a pandemic brought the importance of supportive, welcoming school environments into sharp focus. Safety, stability, and trusting relationships with teachers can improve student well-being school wide, and, when combined with ambitious instruction, can b...

Thank you to the Polk Bros. Foundation for supporting the STEP Learning Recovery Project! We're honored to receive this grant and are excited about the work ahead to recover learning loss for Chicago students.

Ten efforts receive $2.8 million from Polk Bros. Foundation for Chicago’s equitable recovery - Polk Bros. Foundation Ten efforts receive $2.8 million from Polk Bros. Foundation for Chicago’s equitable recovery Grants bring total FY21 increased Equitable Recovery grantmaking to $8.23 million CHICAGO (August […]

"That brings us to one of the most critical aspects of improvement planning and data collection: diversity of voice."

Read part 2 of our blog series with NWEA on using holistic data to drive school improvement.

How to democratize your school improvement planning process - Teach. Learn. Grow. To create an equitable, effective, and enduring school improvement plan, school leaders must gather diverse data and democratize the planning process.

We're excited to announce our partnership with NWEA! Together we will work to drive systemic improvements in U.S. schools by pairing NWEA assessment data, research, professional learning, and school improvement services with UChicago Impact’s research-based 5Essentials System.

Powerful Partnership in School Improvement Announced - NWEA NWEA and UChicago Impact partner to combine research-based tools and services to help schools and systems improve learning environments and student outcomes.