Chicago’s controversial mass school closures in 2013 have had negative effects on thousands of the city’s students—mostly those who are Black and from low-income households— according to a new report.
Transferred students fell behind academically, despite officials’ promises to provide a better education once they left under-populated schools for higher-performing ones, said the report which was released Tuesday by University of Chicago Consortium on School Research scholars.
This study—the most comprehensive yet to evaluate the educational, social and emotional impacts of the city’s decision to shut down an unprecedented 47 elementary schools to save money five years ago— examined the outcomes of 10,700 students who were in kindergarten to 7th grade at the time of the closures. They also looked at outcomes of students and staff at “welcoming” schools that took in kids.
Source: Chicago’s Black, Low-Income Students Suffer Most After City’s 2013 School Closures, Report Says
