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Admissions

Lindblom Academic Center one of the newer Academic Centers and the only Academic Center on the south side of Chicago that is associated with a Selective Enrollment High School. This means that any student who is admitted to the Lindblom Academic Center has a guaranteed spot, if desired, at Lindblom’s High School.

In 2015-2016 (the most recent admissions cycle), the average admissions score for Lindblom’s Academic Center was 721 on the 900 point admissions scale, down 17 points from last year’s average score of 737. For the first time CPS used the more rigorous MAP test as the 5th grade test in the Academic Admissions formula. Tier 1 students saw the largest drop (-45 points) while scores for Tier 4 students actually rose 9 points as Lindblom increased its appeal to middle class students.

For the past six years, CPS has been using a socioeconomic Tier system to select students for all of its selective admissions schools, including Academic Centers. Currently, thirty percent of seats are allocated to students with the highest academic performance citywide – regardless of their “socioeconomic status”. The remaining seventy percent are allocated to each of four socioeconomic Tiers, with each Tier receiving 17.5%. Students compete for this portion based their academic performance in comparison with other students in their Tier.

Use of the Tier system has led to significant gaps in the academic achievement required for admissions between students from different parts of the City of Chicago. There is a particularly large gap between admissions scores of Tier 4 (the highest socioeconomic Tier) and Tier 1 (the lowest socioeconomic Tier) students – in the more competitive schools.

In 2015-2016, there was huge gap of 122 points between the average score of an admitted Lindblom Academic Center Tier 4 and Tier 1 student and 197 points between the cut-off score of an admitted Tier 4 and Tier 1 student. Such tremendous gaps means  that students admitted to Lindblom’s Academic Center have significant differences in their academic backgrounds.

In the past, unlike some other Academic Centers, Lindblom Academic Center has considered transfer students seeking to enter the Academic Center in 8th grade. However, Lindblom’s Academic Center is no longer taking transfer students as more students are applying as 6th graders there are fewer spots available.

Another indication of the success of Lindblom’s AC is a dramatic increase in its students. From 2010 to 2014, the size of Lindblom’s AC student population has more than doubled from a population of less than 60 students per grade level to more than 120.

Programs

Unlike most other accelerated schools, Lindblom has a Track E calendar, not only for its High School, but also for its Academic Center. According to Principal Mather, the Track E schedule with its year round school attendance minimizes summer learning loss. The school day also operates on a block schedule, which the administration feels will provide students with greater depth in their studies.

Lindblom operates a bus shuttle service that provides transportation twice each morning and afternoon directly to the orange, green, and red lines. In addition, bus service is provided to various elementary schools including Coles, Mann, Dennen, Reed, Nicholson, Clissold, Vanderpoel, Carroll, Hampton, Barton, Turner, Drew, Poe, McDade, Gresham, Murray, Fuller, Chavez, Sawyer and Peck. Lindblom’s bus service has helped alleviate parent concerns about having their children attend a school in the Englewood neighborhood.

At Lindblom’s Academic Center, Algebra is a two year program that is taken by both 7th and 8th graders. At the end of their 8th grade year, students take CPS’ Algebra Exit Exam which tests students’ Algebra I knowledge. Students who pass this exam and do well in their Algebra class will then begin their high school math sequence with geometry – and will be in a better position to take advanced math classes in their high school career than students who start high school with Algebra. At other Academic Centers, notably Whitney Young and Lane Tech, students take Algebra in 7th grade and then move on to Geometry in 8th grade.

Lindblom’s Academic Center offers its students the relatively unusual World Language choices of Mandarin Chinese and Arabic.

Academics

Standardized tests administered to middle school CPS students are in a state of flux. The ACT organization is phasing out the EXPLORE test which has been administered to 8th and 9th graders and is transitioning to the Aspire test. The ISAT is being phased out in favor of the PARCC and MAP test. As this transition takes place it leaves the ISAT with the only up-to-date, multi-year and comparable data for CPS middle school students, so information from this test is used to assess Academic Center performance.

In 2014, Lindblom 8th graders turned in good performance on the math portion of the ISAT test. About 91% of Lindblom 8th graders met or exceeded standards in the math portion of the ISAT in 2014. However, only 14% exceeded standards. This is a relatively small proportion for a school aimed at academically accelerated students.

Similarly in 2014 Lindblom 8th graders performed well on the Reading portion of the ISAT. About 89% of Lindblom 8th graders met or exceeded standards on the Reading portion of the ISAT. However only 21% exceeded standards on the Reading portion.

For additional academic information about Lindblom Academic Center, click here for a state report card.