Category: Selective Enrollment

CPS Announces Preliminary Fall 2020 Reopening Plans

After much anticipation, CPS has announced their hybrid remote learning model tentatively scheduled to roll out this Fall 2020. With the pandemic still changing each day, the plan thus far is:

  • Preschoolers return as close to full time as possible
  • K-10th graders will attend 2 days in person, 2 days with at home lessons, and one day remotely
  • In person sessions will be conducted in pods of approx. 15 people with teachers regularly assigned to each pod
  • HS juniors and seniors will most likely be fully remote

There are many impacts to this plan that CPS is seeking feedback on via their Survey. They are asking all stakeholders, including parents, students, staff and community members, to weigh in. Survey HERE.

Community meetings are being scheduled for July 27-31 to solicit input and feedback. The final plan will be announced in late August.

No plan will suit all families, but let your voice be heard by weighing in.  Helpful video explaining the plan can be found HERE.

Spring 2020 CPS Elementary Notifications

CPS released first round elementary notifications on May 8, 2020 for families applying to Choice (Open Enrollment, Magnet, Magnet Cluster) and/or Selective Enrollment (Gifted, Classical and Academic Centers) programs for PK to 8th grade.  Families learned if they were offered a spot or if they would have to wait until further rounds to hear about offers. The first round decision deadline is May 22, and waitlists open on May 29.

Academic Centers (7th grade entry) are the only selective enrollment elementary programs that release cutoff scores.

More info at https://go.cps.edu/elementary-school or check out the ES Choice Forum or ES SEES Forum for crowdsourced information on selective enrollment scores and Choice offers.

CPS 2020-2021 SEHS Principal’s Discretion

From https://go.cps.edu/high-school/principal-discretion

The Principal Discretion application period for the 2020-2021 school year opens at 9 am on April 27th and ends at 6 pm on May 8th. Click the links below to access the Principal Discretion Handbook and Frequently Asked Questions. The handbook provides step-by-step instructions for submitting a Principal Discretion Application Package and contains the guidelines and requirements for the process.

In light of the transition of the Chicago Public Schools to remote learning, Application Packages will be accepted online, and detailed instructions will be provided to help you with the submission process. Starting at 9 am on April 27th, the online submission portal will be accessible on this page. If you are unable to submit your package online, please call the Office of Access and Enrollment at 773-553-2060, weekdays between 8 am and 6 pm, for alternate submission options.

If you have questions after you review the documents below, contact the Office of Access and Enrollment at 773-553-2060, weekdays between 8 am and 6 pm, or [email protected].

Principal’s Discretion Handbook 2020-2021

Principal’s Discretion FAQs 2020-2021

Spring 2020 CPS High School Notification Links

The first round of CPS High School Notifications for 2020-2021 were released on March 27, 2020. Depending on whether an 8th grade student applied to test based Selective Enrollment High Schools (SEHS) and/or non-test based Choice High Schools (including IB, Magnet, CTE, Military, Charter, etc), a student can have up to 3 public high school choices: up to one offer for SEHS, one for Choice, and their neighborhood high school.

Any offers must be accepted or declined by April 22, 2020. Waitlists will open on April 27, but families should understand that not all high schools go to a waitlist, including at least half of the SEHS.

1st Round Cutoff scores for 2020-2021 SEHS: https://cps.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/gocps/GoCPS_Cutoff_SEHS_2020-21.pdf

1st Round Cutoff scores for 2020-2021 Choice HS (note- not all programs have cutoff scores): https://cps.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/gocps/GoCPS_Cutoff_Choice_2020-21.pdf

SEHS Principal’s Discretion is only for students who applied to Selective Enrollment High Schools (SEHS) but would like to enter a holistic appeal process that allows an SEHS Principal to select 5% of the freshman class for another SEHS on their list. A packet of information will be released shortly to detail the steps and timing.

Non-CPS Students to Take NWEA MAP Test This Spring 2020

From CPS Office of Access & Enrollment:
 
“CPS is now administering the NWEA MAP exam to non-CPS students in the spring in order to align with the NWEA MAP testing schedule offered to students enrolled in the Chicago Public Schools system. CPS is now accepting NWEA MAP registration forms for non–CPS students who plan to apply to grades 5-9 for the 2021-2022 school year to Selective Enrollment Elementary Schools and high schools with academic requirements including, but not limited to, CTE-College and Career Academies, IB High Schools, Magnet High Schools, Service Leadership Academies, and Selective Enrollment High Schools. 
For students who do not currently attend a CPS school, will not be enrolled at a CPS school for the 2020-2021 school year, and will be applying to any of the aforementioned schools for grades 5-9 for the 2021-2022 school year, the NWEA MAP will be offered free of charge at multiple locations around the city.

Click the links below to access the NWEA MAP registration form and additional information. The test will be offered on two weekends in May 2020 and one weekend in June 2020. In order for students to be scheduled to take the test in May or June, completed registration forms must be received by the Office of Access and Enrollment no later than April 3, 2020. Submission instructions are on the registration form.

Letter to Parents

NWEA MAP Registration Form

Frequently Asked Questions

Please note that the NWEA MAP test is used by the Chicago Public Schools system to determine student eligibility to apply to schools and programs with academic criteria. The NWEA MAP is NOT the admissions exam for Selective Enrollment schools. If you are interested in Selective Enrollment schools, the NWEA MAP scores will be used to determine whether their children are eligible to take the Selective Enrollment admissions exam. If your child is eligible to take the Selective Enrollment admissions exam, you will submit a GoCPS application and schedule the Selective Enrollment admissions exam during the regular application period this fall. More information on this process will be provided when you receive your child’s NWEA MAP test notification letter, approximately 1-2 weeks before your child’s NWEA MAP test date.

In addition, note that NWEA MAP scores will only be reported in reading and math percentiles. You will not receive an NWEA MAP score report or RIT scores. Further, it is important for your to be aware that this test is only offered for students who are planning to apply to Chicago public schools for enrollment in the 2021-2022 school year. It is NOT designed for parents to use as a practice exam for enrollment in subsequent school years.”

Re-rank CPS 2020-2021 HS & SE Applications until 2/3/20

While applications for the first round of 2020-2021 Entry to Chicago Public Schools closed on 12/13/19, families can re-rank their selective enrollment and/or their high school Choice selections until Feb 3, 2020. Contact the Office of Access and Enrollment at 773-553-2060 or [email protected] for instructions on re-ranking

These ranked applications will only offer a single choice for each list (selective enrollment RGC/Classical, Academic Centers, SE schools and non-selective Choice high schools). A family’s neighborhood school never has a deadline for enrollment.

Elementary Choice (non-selective) programs such as magnet and open enrollment schools are not ranked. Families can get multiple offers for those elementary programs.

First round notifications for high schools will be released on March 27, 2020 and elementary schools will be released on April 24, 2020.

CPS 2020-2021 Applications are Open

Apply now to high school, elementary school, and 3 magnet preschools via www.go.cps.edu now through Dec. 13, 2019. https://go.cps.edu/about-gocps

Non-CPS Students: Register for 5-9th Grade CPS NWEA Testing

Non-CPS students who are interested in applying for 5th-9th grade CPS programs for Fall 2020 should be sure to take the CPS administered NWEA Map tests.  CPS requires this qualifying test of reading and math to be taken by all non-CPS students applying to selective programs in those upper grades. Students can register by August 30 to take the tests on Sept. 21, 22, 28, 29 or Oct. 5 or 6.  All students who test by those dates will be able to use the online GoCPS application system.  All current CPS students will have their spring NWEA Map scores used for qualifications and rubric calculations. GoCPS applications are open 9/30/19-12/6/19.

Spring 2019- CPS Elementary Notifications & Links

First round CPS elementary school notifications were released at 5pm on Monday, April 22.

Academic Centers (accelerated 7th/8th grade programs in high schools) have cutoff scores published here: GoCPS AC Cutoff Scores 2019-2020

All other elementary Gifted or Classical School programs do not publish cutoff scores. These offers are “single choice” and you can only receive one offer of SEES (selective enrollment elementary schools).

Magnet, magnet cluster & open enrollment schools are strictly lottery based and will have waitlist numbers published. These are multiple offer programs so you can be offered multiple schools and accept one yet be offered another option later and can change your acceptance then.

GoCPS 2019-2020 Elementary Selection & Notification FAQs