Under a new plan to prepare them for life after high school, Chicago Public Schools students would have to come up with a plan for after graduation before they can get a diploma.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the new graduation requirements are something he has been considering since he was first elected in 2011. He said he wants to make sure CPS students don’t treat high school graduation as the end goal.
The mayor spoke briefly about the plan at a town hall meeting downtown on Tuesday, and was set to formally announce the new requirement Wednesday morning at Malcolm X College. He said part of being successful in life is having continued education after high school.
Starting with next year’s freshman class, in order to receive their high school diploma, all CPS students would have to show an acceptance letter to a four-year university, a community college, a trade school or apprenticeship, an internship, or a branch of the armed services.
“We already have around 62 percent of our kids are already either accepted into college or accepted into community college, and our goal is to make sure nobody spikes the ball at 12th grade. We want to make 14th grade universal. That’s the new goal line,” Emanuel told CBS This Morning on Wednesday.
Chicago would be the first city to implement such a requirement, although the mayor said it’s an idea he borrowed from charter schools.
“We need, at the public side, to help all our kids – regardless of their zip code, regardless of their background, regardless of what their family situation is – that expectation and support is provided to help kids go post-high school,” he said Tuesday evening.
Emanuel also said CPS would work with students to make sure they’re aware of available scholarships and other resources to help them after high school