The CALL Team is excited to announce that we are working with Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) Network 1 this year. Twelve schools from Network 1 will be using the CALL system to obtain task-based leadership data to inform their school improvement planning, specifically the Continuous Improvement Work Plan (CIWP). The CIWP in CPS is the “strategic planning process of schools that also meets the federal and state requirements of a school improvement plan.”

CSP Network 1 school leaders will be able to use CALL data to identify target areas for their CIWP. Since the CALL data is not attached to high stakes accountability, respondents from the schools (teachers, administrators, and instructional support staff) will likely be forthright in providing their input on school-wide instructional leadership. Also, the CALL data is generated promptly so that school leaders can work with the data in a timely manner while the survey experience is still fresh in their minds.

This use of CALL in Network 1 is funded by The Chicago Public Education Fund (The Fund). The Fund’s generosity and support for this work has allowed CPS Network 1 leaders to support their school leaders and guide their work through CALL data analysis and implementation. The CALL Team is working closely with Network 1 leaders to ensure a smooth process from the beginning. Mark Blitz, CALL Project Director, met with school leaders in person to introduce the CALL System and demonstrate the process for implementation.

The CALL Team has worked with CPS schools previously: six schools that are part of the service leadership programs, and a group of schools that have leaders who graduated from the University of Illinois-Chicago leadership preparation program. The CALL Team is looking forward to working with Network 1 and supporting school-level and network-level leadership.