In the Central Region, states, districts, and schools in Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio have adopted the America’s Choice School Design and instructional solutions over the past nine years.

In Illinois, for example, we have worked with exurban and suburban districts and schools that were early adopters of the America’s Choice School Design. Many of these districts have continued their relationships with America’s Choice as alumni schools.

The Central Region encompasses the Midwest, stretching from West Virginia to the Dakotas and Oklahoma and from Michigan down to Kentucky.

Central Region Highlights

• The Chicago Public Schools—the third largest school district in the country, with more than 400,000 students and over 600 schools—is working with America’s Choice on two major, top-priority projects.

• For the Chicago High School Redesign Initiative, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and several area foundations, America’s Choice is establishing Readers and Writers Workshops in English classrooms and implementing Ramp-Up Literacy in selected schools. This project, which focuses on improving instructional programs in low-performing schools, includes customization of America’s Choice literacy solutions to align them with Illinois state standards and deliver tailored instructional support. In the second year of this project, six high schools have implemented these solutions so far.

• In 2006, the district selected the America’s Choice School Design for several of its severely underperforming K–8 schools. After just one year as America’s Choice schools, three of these schools were recognized among the “top 50 gainers” for composite increases on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test.

• In Ohio, districts in East Cleveland, Springfield, Warren, and Youngstown have adopted the America’s Choice School Design to improve student achievement in low-performing schools.

Meet the Central Region staff