New Leaders for New Schools
www.nlns.org

Summary & Objectives
New Leaders for New Schools recruits, trains, and supports aspiring school leaders. It provides an alternative pathway to the principal position for educators without an administrative (Type 75) credential, or professionals working outside the school district. After a rigorous selection process, fellows attend a summer seminar for intensive training from a faculty of local and national experts. Fellows then spend one year as residents under the tutelage of mentor principals. Upon completion of the residency, they are eligible for principal positions. Fellows also receive ongoing professional development and support during the two years after their fellowship. New Leaders also provides special training for candidates aspiring to open new and/or small schools.

Results
By the end of Fund I, 22 fellows had graduated from New Leaders in Chicago. Of these, 41 percent were serving as principals in Chicago Public Schools, with many starting their own charter or small schools. The remaining graduates served as assistant principals or as instructional coaches. In 2004, Fast Company magazine named New Leaders as one of the nation's top 15 social capitalists.

The Fund's
Give-Back Incentive

Summary & Objectives
Before The Fund made its first investment in support of NBC, teachers who voluntarily invested the energy, skill and time required to earn National Board Certification often got no more than a handshake as a reward. So we created a first-of-its-kind incentive for teachers who achieve. The Fund committed $1.25 million to a two-tiered strategy: $3,000 individual rewards for teachers who achieve, and larger rewards (up to $30,000) for schools where teams of teachers achieve.

Results
When The Fund conceived the strategy to scale up National Board Certification in Chicago, there were just 11 National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) in the district. By the end of Fund I, there were 247. Ten schools had teams of four or more NBCTs, and 22 others had at least two. Furthermore, our unprecedented incentive program attracted additional dollars to the table—the state board of education matched our individual rewards and Chicago Public Schools committed $2,500. Thanks to the lobbying efforts of the Illinois Business Roundtable, in winter 2002 the state legislature authorized an additional $30,000 over the 10-year life of the certificate for every teacher who achieves.

Teach For America
www.teachforamerica.org

Summary & Objectives
Teach For America is a national alternative teacher certification program for recent college graduates of all academic majors who commit to teaching for two years. TFA students in Chicago are largely concentrated on the West and South Sides of the city. The Fund made the lead investment to bring TFA to Chicago, and holds a seat on the local advisory board.  In that role, we helped TFA/Chicago develop a local strategic plan now used as a template for all national affiliates. We also played a significant role in hiring the program’s new executive director.

Results
By the end of Fund I, more than 220 teachers had participated in the program, affecting more than 11,000 students. Recent studies have shown that TFA corps members teach as well as, if not better than other teachers in their schools. Furthermore, three-quarters of principals report that TFA teachers are better than other beginning teachers.

Chicago Public Schools Professional Development Project

In 2002 The Fund, in collaboration with many of the city's major foundations, coordinated the most comprehensive audit ever of Chicago Public Schools professional development spending and offerings. The audit resulted in immediate improvements in accountability, budgeting and delivery of professional development opportunities across the system.

Read a copy of the report, or a two-page synopsis >

The Grow Network
info.grow.net

Summary & Objectives
During Fund I, The Fund formed a unique partnership with the Grow Network, which delivers tools to transform test data into meaningful action steps for teachers, principals and parents. Although Grow provided reports to the teachers and parents of more than 200,000 students, our partnership used the Grow Reports as the foundation for an intensive professional development program, which grew to 37 schools focused on using data to improve teaching and learning.

Results
Data from the Consortium on Chicago School Research indicates that more than half of CPS teachers and more than three-quarters of CPS principals used Grow regularly, reporting that it helped them set priorities and tailor instruction to individual student needs.