The accessibility of quality preschool education
By Nicolas Robledo
Englewood, shown on the left, is an impoverished neighborhood. Lincoln Park, shown on the right, is a prosperous neighborhood.
Chicago Public Schools aims to offer every student a good education and an equal opportunity to succeed. With the majority of students in Chicago Public schools entering the system as young as ages three or four, they have the tremendous task of giving these young children a high quality education, in order to increase their chances of being successful later in life. Preschool is often looked at as a program which takes care of children while their parents are at work, or as programs that simply teach a child how to play with other children. Although this is sometimes the case, preschools are extremely important because they destine the levels of academic and social success a child will have. Chicago Public Schools offers two main type of preschools: Preschool for All, and Tuition Based preschools. Preschool for All programs offer a free education, along with a basic curriculum, and a short school day. Tuition Based preschools offer a high costing but individualized and high quality education, along with a full school day. The accessibility of a quality preschool education is influenced by families' financial situation, which leads to the widening of the achievement gap in public education.
It is no secret that Tuition-Based preschools provide a better quality education than free preschools. Tuition Based preschools offer an education which provides an "Integrated, thematic curriculum organized on a continuum of how young children learn and grow," (cps.edu) which individualizes the education of each student and enhances the child's learning experience. Children who attend these Tuition-Based preschools also spend a "full day" at schools, which is a ten hour schoolday (cps.edu). This longer schoolday enables children to socialize with other students, as well as learn for a longer period of time. To contrast this, Preschool for All programs offer an education which aims to " begin to develop basic reading, writing, and math skills." (cps.edu). Basic education is not individualized, nor does it allow students to advance further into other curriculum. These preschools only offer a two hour and forty-minutes program, vastly limiting students' learning experiences. The huge difference in the class of education in Tuition-Based preschools and Preschool for All schools shows inequity in the education system.
To expand on the topic of inequity in education, every single Tuition-Based preschool is either in the North Side or South Loop areas of Chicago. The North Side and South Loop areas are known as wealthy areas of the city. Both areas have low crime rates and are considered safe by many residents of Chicago. Lincoln Park, which is located on the city's north side, has a median income of $88, 487 a year. (city-data.com). The South Loop, located near the downtown area, has a median income of $67, 167 a year, exceeding the Chicago average income by more than $20,000. (city-data.com). Not surprisingly, these two neighborhoods alone claim four of the fourteen available Tuition-Based preschools. The South and West sides of Chicago claim only free preschools. Englewood, which is on Chicago's south side, only has a median income of $24, 049 (city-data.com).
Alcott College Prep is a preschool through eighth grade school that offers a tuition-based preschool, and is located in Lincoln Park. Alcott scored a composite score of 81.9% on the ISAT, compared to the CPS average of 52.5% (cps.edu). Alcott's rigorous tuition-based preschool program prepared its students and pushed them this academic excellence. In Skinner West, a school relatively near the South Loop, students scored a composite score of 96.1% on the ISAT. This school also has a tuition-based preschool, making clear that these programs have helped their students reach academic success. On the city's south side, there is Bond Elementary School. Located in Englewood, Bond offers a Preschool for All program which provides their students with a half-day schedule. Bond has been on academic probation for seven years, and their students scored a composite score of 17.1% on the ISAT which is far below the CPS average of 52.5%. Bond's free preschool program has failed its students, and this shows on the school's performance. It is evident that the preschool did not introduce their students to any significant curriculum, because of the horrible test scores. Parker Elementary School, also located in Englewood, provides a free preschool education. Their students scored a composite ISAT score of 24.9%. Parker's academic performance shows that its students have not been well prepared to compete against their classmates on the north side of the city, as their peers nearly scored three times higher than their south side classmates.
Chicago Public Schools's policy on Preschool for All has dramatically setback middle and working class students, while their policy on Tuition-Based preschool has boosted wealthy children to academic success. Whether this was Chicago Public Schools's intention or it was accidental, they have given wealthy children a better educational opportunity, and have left the poorer children stuck in a perpetual cycle of underachievement. Public School is meant to give equal opportunities to every student, regardless of social class, race, or any other classification. By not doing so, Chicago Public Schools has neglected the children and social classes that need their assistance the most, thus defeating their purpose of providing an equal education to all.
Works Cited:
"Englewood Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60621 Detailed Profile." Englewood Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60621 Subdivision Profile. Urban Mapping Inc., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Englewood-Chicago-IL.html>.
"Find a School." Pages - Findaschool. Chicago Public Schools, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cps.edu/Schools/Find_a_school/Pages/Findaschool.aspx>.
"Lincoln Park Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60614 Detailed Profile." Lincoln Park Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60614 Subdivision Profile. Urban Mapping Inc., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Lincoln-Park-Chicago-IL.html>.
"Preschool for All." Cps.edu. Chicago Public Schools, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cps.edu/Schools/EarlyChildhood/Pages/Preschoolforall__.aspx>.
"South Loop Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60605, 60616 Detailed Profile." South Loop Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60605, 60616 Subdivision Profile. Urban Mapping Inc., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/South-Loop-Chicago-IL.html>.
"Tuition-based Preschool ." Chicago Public Schools :Tuition-based Preschool. Chicago Public Schools, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cps.edu/SCHOOLS/EARLYCHILDHOOD/Pages/Tuition-basedpreschool.aspx>.
"Tuition-Based Preschool Program Sites." Cps,edu. Chicago Public Schools, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cps.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/TuitionBasedPreschoolPrograms.pdf>.
"Tuition-Based Preschool Program 2012-2013 Parent Handbook." Cps.edu. Chicago Public Schools, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cps.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/TuitionBasedPreschoolHandbook.pdf>.
It is no secret that Tuition-Based preschools provide a better quality education than free preschools. Tuition Based preschools offer an education which provides an "Integrated, thematic curriculum organized on a continuum of how young children learn and grow," (cps.edu) which individualizes the education of each student and enhances the child's learning experience. Children who attend these Tuition-Based preschools also spend a "full day" at schools, which is a ten hour schoolday (cps.edu). This longer schoolday enables children to socialize with other students, as well as learn for a longer period of time. To contrast this, Preschool for All programs offer an education which aims to " begin to develop basic reading, writing, and math skills." (cps.edu). Basic education is not individualized, nor does it allow students to advance further into other curriculum. These preschools only offer a two hour and forty-minutes program, vastly limiting students' learning experiences. The huge difference in the class of education in Tuition-Based preschools and Preschool for All schools shows inequity in the education system.
To expand on the topic of inequity in education, every single Tuition-Based preschool is either in the North Side or South Loop areas of Chicago. The North Side and South Loop areas are known as wealthy areas of the city. Both areas have low crime rates and are considered safe by many residents of Chicago. Lincoln Park, which is located on the city's north side, has a median income of $88, 487 a year. (city-data.com). The South Loop, located near the downtown area, has a median income of $67, 167 a year, exceeding the Chicago average income by more than $20,000. (city-data.com). Not surprisingly, these two neighborhoods alone claim four of the fourteen available Tuition-Based preschools. The South and West sides of Chicago claim only free preschools. Englewood, which is on Chicago's south side, only has a median income of $24, 049 (city-data.com).
Alcott College Prep is a preschool through eighth grade school that offers a tuition-based preschool, and is located in Lincoln Park. Alcott scored a composite score of 81.9% on the ISAT, compared to the CPS average of 52.5% (cps.edu). Alcott's rigorous tuition-based preschool program prepared its students and pushed them this academic excellence. In Skinner West, a school relatively near the South Loop, students scored a composite score of 96.1% on the ISAT. This school also has a tuition-based preschool, making clear that these programs have helped their students reach academic success. On the city's south side, there is Bond Elementary School. Located in Englewood, Bond offers a Preschool for All program which provides their students with a half-day schedule. Bond has been on academic probation for seven years, and their students scored a composite score of 17.1% on the ISAT which is far below the CPS average of 52.5%. Bond's free preschool program has failed its students, and this shows on the school's performance. It is evident that the preschool did not introduce their students to any significant curriculum, because of the horrible test scores. Parker Elementary School, also located in Englewood, provides a free preschool education. Their students scored a composite ISAT score of 24.9%. Parker's academic performance shows that its students have not been well prepared to compete against their classmates on the north side of the city, as their peers nearly scored three times higher than their south side classmates.
Chicago Public Schools's policy on Preschool for All has dramatically setback middle and working class students, while their policy on Tuition-Based preschool has boosted wealthy children to academic success. Whether this was Chicago Public Schools's intention or it was accidental, they have given wealthy children a better educational opportunity, and have left the poorer children stuck in a perpetual cycle of underachievement. Public School is meant to give equal opportunities to every student, regardless of social class, race, or any other classification. By not doing so, Chicago Public Schools has neglected the children and social classes that need their assistance the most, thus defeating their purpose of providing an equal education to all.
Works Cited:
"Englewood Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60621 Detailed Profile." Englewood Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60621 Subdivision Profile. Urban Mapping Inc., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Englewood-Chicago-IL.html>.
"Find a School." Pages - Findaschool. Chicago Public Schools, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cps.edu/Schools/Find_a_school/Pages/Findaschool.aspx>.
"Lincoln Park Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60614 Detailed Profile." Lincoln Park Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60614 Subdivision Profile. Urban Mapping Inc., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Lincoln-Park-Chicago-IL.html>.
"Preschool for All." Cps.edu. Chicago Public Schools, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cps.edu/Schools/EarlyChildhood/Pages/Preschoolforall__.aspx>.
"South Loop Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60605, 60616 Detailed Profile." South Loop Neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois (IL), 60605, 60616 Subdivision Profile. Urban Mapping Inc., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/South-Loop-Chicago-IL.html>.
"Tuition-based Preschool ." Chicago Public Schools :Tuition-based Preschool. Chicago Public Schools, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cps.edu/SCHOOLS/EARLYCHILDHOOD/Pages/Tuition-basedpreschool.aspx>.
"Tuition-Based Preschool Program Sites." Cps,edu. Chicago Public Schools, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cps.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/TuitionBasedPreschoolPrograms.pdf>.
"Tuition-Based Preschool Program 2012-2013 Parent Handbook." Cps.edu. Chicago Public Schools, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cps.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/TuitionBasedPreschoolHandbook.pdf>.