New back-to-school program for CPS freshmen

“If we focus on juniors and seniors as we strive to drive down the drop-out rate, it’s too late. They’re already gone. They’re already on the streets. We must have a laser-like focus on our freshmen,” said Schools CEO Arne Duncan.

“We want to recruit all of our freshmen like star athletes and make them feel good about the start of their high school careers.”

The jump from eighth grade to high school can be traumatic for students everywhere, but particularly so in Chicago, where there are no middle schools to make the transition more gradual.

Four years ago, CPS launched a “Step Up to High School” summer school program to bolster the math and reading skills of the 4,000 incoming freshmen who test well enough to be promoted but below the national average. Participating students were offered a one-half credit incentive.

The program that Duncan and Mayor Daley unveiled today targets all incoming freshmen.

Counselors and school staff will call and visit them at home to help freshmen prepare for their first day, and Day One “no-shows” will get another home visit. Principals will prepare freshman “transition plans” and a special “freshman checklist” will be mailed to every student’s home.

Freshman grades will be checked after the first three weeks to make certain struggling students get the help they need before falling behind. And there’ll be a pilot “drop-out prevention” program in 10 high schools to recapture students who have stopped coming to school.

“One of the big goals is to make a personal connection with every freshman — whether it’s a teacher, a principal, a counselor or an older student,” Duncan said.

At a news conference at John Hancock High School, 4034 W. 56th St., Daley acknowledged that “moving from grade school to high school is a big jump” — and that it can be awfully intimidating.

“We all went through that. . . . There’s a lot more people. It takes time to get to know people. You have to move around between classes. You have to take a new bus or train to school. All that change creates stress for many younger people,” he said.

Yet another twist on this year’s back-to-school program is an incentive offered by the Museum of Science and Industry: Every student who shows up for school on Sept. 4 will get a free family pass to the museum good for three admissions until Oct. 8.

“I hope 1.2 million people take advantage of it” with perfect attendance on the first day, said museum CEO David Mosena. Last year, CPS set a record with 92.8 percent attendance on Day One.

Daley also challenged school officials to conduct a “top-to-bottom” review of school safety plans. Even before that analysis, the Board of Education plans to spent $2 million on security cameras, upgraded door alarms, metal detectors and X-ray machines.