Chicago Public Schools recently announced it would begin making huge changes starting next year. The proposed changes would shut down five underperforming schools, phase out two more schools and place 10 schools in “turnaround.” CPS also wants to introduce 12 new charter school campuses over the next two years. But what does this all mean? If it seems confusing, here’s a breakdown:

What does it mean to “phase out” a school?
CPS may designate a school for closure, but it may not be possible at that time to close it entirely. Instead of outright closing the school, it will instead eliminate a grade level from its enrollment. For example, a high school being phased out may not enroll freshmen, but sophomores and higher may still continue attending the school.

Phase-outs take several years to complete, after which the school is closed for good. Some of the schools up for closure next year have been in phase-out for at least a year, while the newly designated schools are expected to take up to three years to complete the process.

What does “turnaround” mean?
When a school underperforms, it may be closed outright, or the school board may take drastic actions to improve academic performance. This is referred to as a “turnaround,” which is a complete restructuring of a school to help boost academic performance and test scores. The schools designated as turnaround schools have been on academic probation for at least five years.

A turnaround usually involves re-staffing, teacher training and increased spending on academic resources. The Academy for Urban School Leadership will be responsible for turning around six of the 10 designated CPS schools, with the CPS Office of School Improvement taking over the other four.

The issue that many community members and academic ...