Network For College Success At The University Of Chicago

The Network for College Success (NCS) partners with high schools to strengthen and support the quality of leadership, instruction, and student supports. Our mission is to increase high school graduation, college enrollment, and college success rates for all students. NCS began with a small group of school Chicago Public high school principals looking to better understand and apply the high school research published by the Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR). We have purposefully and gradually expanded our model to tackle new layers of work at the school- and district-levels. The NCS network consists of 15-20 partner high schools. Additionally, NCS designs and facilitates the quarterly High School Institute, which serves all 99 non-charter high schools in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) district. Over the past 10 years, the expansion of the NCS model to CPS district leaders and principals has been organic yet systematic, providing timely and relevant professional development on the critical factors affecting high school student outcomes, including: leadership development; instructional improvement; and student transition supports into and beyond high school. Our service model comprises professional learning communities, job-embedded coaching, on-going supports, and access to the latest and most relevant research and data. Based on the principles of adult learning and change management, the NCS model and process have been key to our success. With our unique expertise and proven track record, NCS is well positioned to support school and district leaders to increase momentum for high school improvement across the CPS district and nationally.