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Admissions

Morgan Park’s Academic Center is one of four Academic Centers on the south side of Chicago. The three others are Kenwood Academy, Harlan Community Academy and Lindblom.

In 2015-2016, the average admissions score for Morgan Park’s Academic Center fell 30 points from 679 to 649 on the 900 point admissions scale. For the first time, CPS used the more rigorous MAP test as the 5th grade standardized test in its admissions formula.

In recent years, Morgan Park’s Academic Center has struggled to attract sufficient numbers of qualified applicants. Despite the quality of the middle school program, the declining quality of Morgan Park High School has pulled down the Academic Center’s appeal.

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 a gap of 40 points between the average score of an admitted Morgan Park Academic Center Tier 4 and Tier 1 student and a gap of 69 points between the cut-off scores of scores of a Tier 4 and Tier 1 student. Such a relatively modest gap means that students admitted to Morgan Park’s Academic Center on the basis of their socioeconomic status have similar academic qualifications.

Background/ Academics

In 2012, Morgan Park High School acquired a new principal, Carolyn Epps.

Morgan Park High School opened its doors in 1916 and has undergone several major expansions during its history. Currently it is in the midst of a major $10 million renovation which will help improve the school’s physical plant. Major features of this renovation include tuck-pointing and façade improvement, a revamping the electrical system, restoration of the auditorium, and new student lockers.

Unlike most schools hosting accelerated programs, Morgan Park Academic Center (and Lindblom’s Academic Center as well) follow a Track E schedule. Proponents of a Track E schedule claim that it helps minimize summer learning loss, which is a critical issue particularly for disadvantaged students.

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 schools, so information from this test is used to assess Academic Center performance.

In 2014, Morgan Park 8th graders performed well on the ISAT test with 88% of students meeting or exceeding standards. However, only 17% of students exceeded standards which is a low proportion for a school aimed at academically advanced students.

In 2014, Morgan Park 8th graders also performed well on the Reading portion of the ISAT test — with 98% of students meeting or exceeding standards. Again, only a small portion of students — 15% exceeded standards in Reading, which is a small proportion for a school aimed at academically advanced students.

State of Illinois Rankings

State of Illinois Rank: 69(2013). In 2013, Morgan Park Academic Center was ranked 69th among Illinois’ middle school population of 1,389 schools by the Chicago Sun-Times. This puts Morgan Park’s Academic Center in the top 5% of Illinois’ middle school population.

Morgan Park’s High School was ranked 495 among Illinois’ high school population of 677 schools, putting Morgan Park’s high school in the bottom 27% of all high schools in the state.

The Chicago Sun-Times bases its middle school ranking on average ISAT Reading and Math scores and high school rankings using average PSAE scores.

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