Tribune keeps repeating lie about charters’ “100%” grad rate
Tuesday, August 13th, 2013I sent the Tribune “Corrections and Clarifications” department a note today about the error in Sunday’s report about Hales Franciscan going coed, which included this passage about Chicago’s single-sex charter schools:
“Urban Prep Academies’ three campuses in Englewood, Near West Side and Bronzeville and Young Women’s Leadership Charter School in Bronzeville reported 100 percent graduation and 100 percent college acceptance in recent years.”
I wrote:
While these schools claim 100% college acceptance (which could mean nothing more than an aggressive counseling program coupled with requirements that students apply to many levels of college), neither of these schools claims to have a 100% graduation rate, which would be a much more impressive achievement.
The Tribune and other media have reported on the significant enrollment attrition between freshman and senior year for both of these schools.
For example:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-03-30/news/ct-met-urban-prep-20120330_1_students-graduate-graduation-rate-urban-prep-academy
See also http://pureparents.org/?p=18890
The Tribune had to correct a similar story in 2008 (see photo) but apparently hasn’t passed the word on.
We’ll see if they actually print the retraction.