Kim Zalent Named Co-Chair of UChicago CCSR Steering Committee

BPI is proud to announce that Kim Zalent has been named Co-Chair of The University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research (UChicago CCSR) Steering Committee.

“Like BPI, the Consortium grabs onto an issue and doesn’t let it go – whether it is identifying the five essentials for school success or examining all aspects of high school success and graduation,” explains Kim, BPI’s Director of Public Education. “It’s no accident that we have consistently drawn on the Consortium research to inform our yearly Chicago School Policy Forum series or our work with the Altgeld-Riverdale Early Learning Coalition. It’s an honor and privilege to be the co-chair of the Consortium Steering Committee.”

The CCSR Steering Committee is comprised of institutional and individual members that bring a variety of experience and knowledge to the table. Sharing Co-Chair duties with Kim is Kathleen St. Louis Caliento, the Executive Director of Spark Chicago.

“CCSR’s Steering Committee is central to our collaborative model of conducting research. It serves as a critical thought partner in the development of our research agenda, and provides varied perspectives on the ways in which research findings can be applied and disseminated. The perspectives of the Committee are truly invaluable to our work,” says Elaine Allensworth, the Lewis-Sebring Director of UCHICAGO CCSR.

Kim will serve as Co-Chair of the Committee for a two-year term. She has been a member of the Steering Committee for several years and served as a close reader on two recent CCSR publications: “Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners: The Role of Noncognitive Factors in Shaping School Performance” and “Preschool Attendance in Chicago Public Schools: Relationships with Learning Outcomes and Reasons for Absences.”

UChicago CCSR was created in 1990 to study the Chicago School Reform Act and its impact on Chicago Public Schools, with which CCSR has continued to work collaboratively over the years. UChicago CCSR continues to be a leader in Chicago school reform, while influencing public education initiatives across the country. Learn more about the CCSR in the video below.