Ingenuity State of the Arts Progress Report 2015-2016 | Page 18

the arts in CPS

CREATIVE SCHOOLS CERTIFICATION

The past four years of data collection

show improvements in arts staffing levels,

have demonstrated ongoing, district-wide
improvements in the arts. While these
trends continued in 2015-16, the rate of
progress steadied after the large gains
made in 2013-14 and 2014-15. This finding
is encouraging, especially given the state of
fiscal uncertainty at CPS; despite challenges,
schools have continued to demonstrate a
commitment to the arts. Specifically, the data

allocating arts education funds in school
budgets, offering arts-related professional
development to teachers, and incorporating
arts integration strategies into instruction.
These improvements are reflected in the
gains made in schools’ overall scores.

60

%

Strong or Excelling

2015-16 (660 SCHOOLS)

18

In 2015-16, 60 percent (396 of 660) of
schools were categorized as Strong or
Excelling. This is an increase from 57
percent in 2014-15, 50 percent in 201314, and 29 percent in 2012-13. The 396
schools categorized as Strong or Excelling
enrolled nearly 250,000 students, which
means that 68 percent of CPS students in
2015-16 attended a school that was Strong
or Excelling in the arts.
Improvements to overall scores were
more modest in 2015-16 than in previous
years. In light of the challenges the district
faced, however, three years of sustained
improvements is a laudable accomplishment
for Chicago Public Schools.