Chicago Schools Offer Partnership Opportunities
Several Chicago-area schools are signaling openness to holistic and individualized student support models. Sycamore Academy emphasizes a "continuum of services" for students with disabilities, while St. Pius V School in Pilsen reaffirms its holistic approach focusing on social-emotional development. These priorities suggest opportunities for external executive function coaches to partner with school-based staff.
- The "continuum of services" model is a tenet of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which requires schools like those in Sycamore Community Unit School District 427 to provide a range of special education services to meet the individualized needs of students. - St. Pius V is a Catholic parish school in the Pilsen neighborhood that has served a predominantly Mexican immigrant population for the past 50 years and offers religious education programs that include students with developmental disabilities. - The school's early childhood program, the Nancy Cullinan Nasko Early Childhood Center, focuses on social and emotional growth through a play-based curriculum for children aged 3-5. - Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has a dedicated Office of Community Partnerships responsible for identifying and fostering collaborations with non-profits, universities, and other organizations to support student goals. - One of the largest district-wide partnerships was launched in March 2025, when CPS teamed up with Hazel Health to provide virtual mental health counseling services for approximately 110,000 high school students. - Non-profit organizations like Communities In Schools of Chicago act as major facilitators for these partnerships, connecting over 2,000 programs and services to 80,000 students in 250 Chicago public schools. - St. Pius V's holistic approach is rooted in its parish's broader community involvement, which includes family counseling, domestic violence services, and anti-violence initiatives. - In 2024, St. Pius V was the recipient of the Big Shoulders Fund Croghan Teacher's Award, which recognizes schools that demonstrate innovative teaching and significant growth in academics and test scores.
