1. 26th Annual Student Financial Aid Research Network Conference June 11-13, 2009 Hyatt Regency Indianapolis, IN
“It’s Not Just How You Analyze the Data, It’s How You Use It: The Practical Implementation of the Chicago Model”
Chandra Taylor Smith, Ph.D., Director, The Pell Institute
Kell y Sparks, Director, Data & Analysis,
Office of High School Programs, Chicago Public Schools

2. Presentation Agenda
What, Who and How: The Strategic Infrastructure to Drive College Access Data in the Chicago Model
Case Study: Driving FAFSA Data to Increase the FAFSA Completion Rate in the Chicago Model

3. The Strategic Infrastructure to Drive College Access Data
What, Who and How:
The Strategic Infrastructure
to Drive College Access Data
in the Chicago Model

4. “School Districts need to build internal analytic capacity”
-Greg Darnieder, Former Director, Department of College and Career Preparation, Presently, Senior Advisor and Special Assistant to secretary of education for college access

7. What Data Do They Use to Achieve the Outcomes?
CPS High School Transcript Data
What do we know about our students during high school?
Senior Exit Questionnaire
What do students plan to do after high school graduation and how many take the needed steps to get to college?
College Enrollment Data (National Student Clearinghouse)
What students actually enroll and persist in college?
IPEDS Data and Barron’s Ratings
What are the characteristics of the colleges where students enroll?

8. What Data Do They Use to Achieve the Outcomes?
Employment Data (Illinois Department of Employment Security)
What students actually work, what are their wages, and in what industries do they work?
FAFSA Data (Illinois Student Assistance Commission)
What seniors complete their FAFSA and when do they complete it?
Freshmen Transition Questionnaire
What issues affect students’ transition to high school and what are their postsecondary aspirations?
Career Exploration Data (Choices Planner)
What students are completing college and career planning activities that prepare them for life after high school?

9. How Do They Use the Data to Achieve the Outcomes?
Regular reporting
Postsecondary outcomes
Postsecondary planning and preparation
Examine trends to see what’s working
Drill-down to student groups to identify targeted areas for program delivery
Continuous program improvement

10. Postsecondary Education
Pillars
Awareness
Readiness
Access
Success

11. Awareness
Readiness
Success
Access
Postsecondary

12. Student Development Pillars
School/Community Leadership
Social/Emotional Development
Postsecondary Education

13. Awareness Readiness Success Access Postsecondary Student Development
Social/Emotional Development
School/Community Leadership
Postsecondary Education
Postsecondary
Student Development

14. ASCA Model Pillars Postsecondary Personal/Social Development
Academic Development
Career

15. Readiness Awareness Success Access Postsecondary Student Development
Social/Emotional Development
Postsecondary Education
Academic Development
Readiness
Awareness
Success
Access
Social/Emotional Development
School/Community Leadership
Postsecondary Education
Postsecondary
Student Development
Secondary Counselors

16. AVID/AP Pillars Rigorous Coursework/Honors & AP
Writing/Inquiry/Collaboration/Reading
Organization/Self Advocacy
Postsecondary Education

17. Postsecondary Education Inquiry/ Collaboration Rigorous Coursework
Awareness
Readiness
Success
Access
Social/Emotional Development
School/Community Leadership
Postsecondary Education
Social/Emotional Development
Postsecondary Education
Academic Development
Career
Writing/Reading/Inquiry/Collab.
Organization/Self Advocay
Postsecondary Education
Rigorous Coursework/AP
Slide 22
Postsecondary
Student Development
Secondary Counselors
AVID/AP
Postsecondary Education
Inquiry/ Collaboration
Rigorous Coursework
Writing/Reading
AVID/ AP

18. Supporting Pillars GEAR UP Student Engagement Parent Support
Teacher Development
Service Learning
Civic Engagement
Leadership Development
Student Voice

19. Postsecondary Education Inquiry/ Collaboration Rigorous Coursework
Awareness
Readiness
Success
Access
Writing/Inquiry/Reading/Collab.
Organization/Self Advocacy
Postsecondary Education
Rigorous Coursework/AP
Social/Emotional Development
School/Community Leadership
Postsecondary Education
Social/Emotional Development
Postsecondary Education
Academic Development
Career
GEAR UP
Service Learning
Postsecondary
Service Learning
Student Development
Secondary Counselors
GEAR UP
AVID/AP
Postsecondary Education
Inquiry/ Collaboration
Rigorous Coursework
Writing/Reading
AVID/ AP

20. Career and Technical Education TRIO Programs
Access Partners

21. Who: Building the Postsecondary Human Capital to Drive the Data
Department of
Postsecondary Education
Established in 2003
with a budget of $4 Million
and 15 Employees
Postsecondary Specialists
High School Walk-thrus
Educate School-level staff on Postsecondary Priorities
Connected Principals to Postsecondary Resources
Drive Postsecondary Initiatives
Advocate for Counselors
Collected qualitative data on additional school access support needs
Implementation of Postsecondary Coach Support

22. Who: Building the Collective Human Capital to Drive the Data
Central Office Administrators
CEO’s Office
Senior Staff
Area Instructional Officers
Department Managers
Program Managers
Postsecondary Specialists
School-Based Staff
Principals
Assistant Principals
Counselors
Teachers
Postsecondary Coaches

23. The Chicago Public Schools district-wide goal
To Graduate
all
Students
Prepared For Success in
Postsecondary Education
and
Employment

24. CPS District-Wide: Theory of Change
Past State
Reacting
Organization by personality
Resource allocation by negotiation
Central office as command and control
Data overload and confusion
People = Jobs
Manage based on one-size fits all
Risk averse, status quo culture
Present/Future State
Planning
Organization by strategy
Resources allocated by policy and need
Central office as support and service center
Data-driven decision making
People are the most important asset
Differentiated oversight based on need
Performance and accountability culture
District goal will only be attained through significant change.

25. Ii.
CASE STUDY:
Using Data
to Increase FAFSA
Completion

26. CASE STUDY: Using Data to Increase FAFSA Completion
CCSR Finding
Filing a FAFSA and applying to multiple colleges shape students’ likelihood of being accepted to and enrolling in a four-year college.
CPS Solution
FAFSA student-level tracking system

27. Effect of FAFSA Completion on College Enrollment

28. FAFSA Tracking System

29. FAFSA Tracking System

30. Driving FAFSA at the School Level

31. Driving Data by Examining Trends

32. Driving Data by Examining Trends

33. Seeing the Results: Increasing FAFSA Completion

34. Teach me how to use the data and I will make a change
Teach me how to use the data and I will make a change! -Learnings from the Chicago Model