UCCS North Kenwood/Oakland
Opening Year: 1998
Entry to USI Network: 2005
Type of School: Charter
Grade Levels in 2009-2010: PK – 5
Student Enrollment:
Address: 1119 E. 46th St,
Chicago, IL 60653
Neighborhood: Kenwood
Principal: Tanika Island-Smith
Website: http://nko.usi-schools.org/
Overview:
The University of Chicago’s Urban Education Institute (UEI) operates four charter schools on the South Side of Chicago. Initially launched in 1998, the University of Chicago Charter Schools’ (UCCS) primary objectives are to prepare students for four-year college, contribute to the community, and serve as professional development schools for teachers, administrators and staff. Together, the four charter school campuses now serve 1,300 students, providing a high quality education from Pre-K through 12th grade. Throughout the schools, teachers and administrators utilize data and research to drive rigorous curriculum and instruction. Ultimately, UCCS’s efforts are intended to demonstrate that it is possible to create a pathway to college success for all students if they are taught with skill and understanding and are provided with comprehensive academic and social supports.
The North Kenwood/Oakland (NKO) campus, opened in 1998, is the first charter school in the UCCS network. NKO seeks to engage students in a challenging academic environment, while fostering in all students a sense of responsibility for themselves and their community. By cultivating a school culture of high academic achievement, administrators and teachers work to ensure that students become independent readers and gain higher-order thinking skills in mathematics. The results of these efforts are evident in students’ consistently high academic performance and NKO’s state-wide recognition for enabling students to make significant progress towards success in college.