CPS Magnet Program

Elementary Schools and Programs

The following provides a description of the schools and programs available for elementary students, and the type of application that should be used.

Elementary Magnet Schools - Use STANDARD APPLICATION: Magnet schools specialize in a specific subject area, such as math/science, fine arts, world language, or humanities. These schools accept students from throughout the city and reflect diverse racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition to accepting students citywide, an elementary magnet school may accept up to 30 percent of its students from those who live within 1.5 miles of the school. This is known as the school's proximity. Students who live within a magnet school's proximity will be entered in a separate lottery for the selection process, as long as the school does not already enroll 30 percent of its student population from the proximity. In most magnet schools, students are selected by a computerized lottery.
Elementary Magnet Cluster Schools - Use STANDARD APPLICATION: Magnet cluster programs in neighborhood schools primarily focus on five academic subjects: math/science, fine and performing arts, world language, the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, and literature and writing. In addition to enrolling attendance area students, magnet cluster programs may enroll students from outside the attendance area, if space is available. Students may submit an application for any magnet cluster school in which they are interested (no application is required if they live in the attendance boundary of the school).
Open Enrollment Schools - Use STANDARD APPLICATION: Open enrollment schools offer another option to parents and students who are interested in schools outside of their neighborhood. Open enrollment schools have neighborhood attendance boundaries and give priority to students who live within the attendance boundary. They do not offer a magnet program. Students who live within the attendance boundary of an open enrollment school do not need to apply to that school. If a school receives more applications than it has space available, a computerized lottery will be conducted to fill the spaces in each grade.
Majority to Minority Transfer Program Schools - Use STANDARD APPLICATION: These are racially integrated elementary schools with student populations of more than 40% white. They accept minority students from outside of their attendance areas until they can achieve a stable racial/ethnic balance of 40% white and 60% minority. If a school receives more applications than it has space available, a computerized lottery will be conducted to fill the spaces in each grade.
Regional Gifted Centers - TESTING REQUIRED - Use YELLOW GEAP APPLICATION: There are nine Regional Gifted Centers, designed to provide appropriate services for children identified as gifted. Admission testing is required. All students applying for grades K-4 will be tested. Testing eligibility for students applying for grades 5-8 will be based on the student's 2006-2007 ISAT national percentile rank in reading and math, or the 2006-2007 percentile rank in reading and math on a different nationally normed, standardized achievement test. In order to be eligible for testing, students applying for grades 5-8 must score at or above the 90th percentile in both reading and math. After the applications are processed, students will be contacted regarding testing date, time, and location.

Comprehensive and Specific Aptitude Gifted Programs Within Schools: The Chicago Public Schools also offers comprehensive and specific aptitude gifted programs within selected magnet, magnet cluster, and open enrollment schools throughout the city. Comprehensive programs serve grades 1-8 and cover all core subjects. Specific aptitude programs are pullout programs in specific subjects and serve varying grades. For both types of programs, students are assessed by the school after they are enrolled as an attendance area student or through the computerized lottery process. For a list of schools that offer these programs, see the Listing of Schools by Category.

Regional Gifted Centers for English Language Learners - TESTING REQUIRED - Use YELLOW GEAP APPLICATION
Three Regional Gifted Centers, housed in Greeley, Orozco, and Pulaski Schools, are specifically designed to meet the needs of high ability students who are English Language Learners. Admission testing is required. All students applying for grades K-4 will be tested. Testing eligibility for students applying for grades 5-8 will be based on the student's 2006-2007 reading and math final grades. Students must have no lower than a B in reading and math in order to be eligible. The student's primary language must be Polish, Russian, or Spanish. After the applications are processed, students will be contacted regarding testing date, time, and location.
Classical Schools - TESTING REQUIRED - Use YELLOW GEAP APPLICATION: Classical schools are designed to provide a challenging liberal arts course of instruction for students with high academic potential. The instructional program in these schools is accelerated and highly structured for strong academic achievement in literature, mathematics, language arts, world language, and the humanities. The classical schools begin with full-day kindergarten and continue through the sixth grade, with the exception of Skinner, which continues through the eighth grade.

Admissions testing is required. All students applying for grades K-4 will be tested. Testing eligibility for students applying for grades 5-8 will be based on the student's 2006-2007 ISAT national percentile rank in reading and math, or the 2006-2007 percentile rank in reading and math on a different nationally normed, standardized achievement test. In order to be eligible for testing, students applying for grades 5-8 must score at or above the 80th percentile in both reading and math. After the applications are processed, students will be contacted regarding testing date, time, and location.
Academic Centers - TESTING REQUIRED - Use YELLOW GEAP APPLICATION: The Academic Centers offer a program for grades 7-8, that allows academically advanced students the opportunity to move through course material at their own pace. Admission testing is required. Testing eligibility for students will be based on the student's 2006-2007 ISAT national percentile rank in reading and math, or the 2006-2007 percentile rank in reading and math on a different nationally normed, standardized achievement test. In order to be eligible for testing, students must score at or above the 70th percentile in both reading and math. After the applications are processed, students will be contacted regarding testing date, time, and location.
International Baccalaureate Preparatory Program - TESTING REQUIRED - Use YELLOW GEAP APPLICATION: The International Baccalaureate Preparatory (IB-Prep) Program is offered at Lincoln Elementary School and Ogden Elementary School for gifted 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. The program includes intensive study in English, French, social studies, laboratory science, mathematics, technology, arts, physical education, library science, and advanced research. Admissions testing is required. Testing eligibility for students will be based on the student's 2006-2007 ISAT national percentile rank in reading and math, or the 2006-2007 percentile rank in reading and math on a different nationally normed, standardized achievement test. In order to be eligible for testing, students must score at or above the 90th percentile in one subject (reading or math), and at or above the 80th percentile in the other subject (reading or math). . After the applications are processed, students will be contacted regarding testing date, time, and location.