Re-Engagement to High School

Any students who become disengaged from school are highly encouraged to re-engage at their last school of enrollment in order to maintain continuity in the educational setting. If a student or parent decides that the last school of enrollment is not the best fit, CPS provides several pathways for students to explore available options to get back on track to receive their high school diploma.

If you need assistance finding a school with the best fit that provides the support you need to succeed, you can contact the Student Outreach and Re-Engagement (SOAR) Offices.

Student Outreach and Re-Engagement (SOAR)

SOAR has three citywide offices and several Re-Engagement Specialists to help students ages 15 to 21 determine the best school placement and provide them with support on the pathway to graduation.

As part of the program, students participate in a two-week re-engagement workshop, receive a transcript evaluation and graduation plan, participate in school placement meetings, and transition into a selected school of transfer designed to meet their academic needs.

A Re-Engagement Specialist will check in with the student and school bi-weekly to receive reports on behavior, attendance, and grades. Students are supported to reach stable school enrollment in order to stay on track to graduate.

For more information about the Student Outreach and Re-Engagement program, contact one of the SOAR Centers, or email Mike Simball, the Re-Engagement Program Manager, at mbsimball@cps.edu.

SOAR Center Locations

The Student Outreach And Re-engagement Centers (SOAR) of CPS will help you find a school that works for you. Contact them today to speak to a specialist:

Location Name	Phone	Address
Pilsen/Little Village SOAR Center	773-542-9030	3948 W. 26th St., Suite 213
East/West Garfield Park SOAR Center	773-265-0560	2622 W. Jackson Blvd., 2nd Floor
Roseland SOAR Center	773-291-1086	837 W. 119th St.

Options Schools

Options Schools are intended to:

Re-engage older students (16+) who are not currently enrolled in school, particularly students who need a significant number of credits to graduate high school.
Support students who have become off track and, even with moderate credit recovery (i.e. summer school, night school), will not be able to earn enough credits in a traditional high school setting to graduate within 4 years of when they were a freshman.
Support students who need small classroom/school size and individualized support in order to graduate high school.
Support students who will only be able to graduate high school with a non-traditional school day schedule.

Options Schools include Alternative Learning Opportunities Programs (ALOP), Charters, Contract, District-Run, and Safe Schools.

Options School Transfer Process

Any student who is currently enrolled in a CPS High School must go through an Options School Transfer Process in order to enroll in an Options School. This process is designed to ensure:

The traditional school has provided the proper supports and resources to meet student needs.
The student and parent/guardian have been provided with clear, objective information to determine the best fit Options school.
The decision to transfer to an Options school is a choice made by the student and parent/guardian to find the best learning environment for that student.

For more information about the Options School Transfer Process, see the CPS Guidelines for High School Transfers.

District-Run Options Schools

District-Run Options Schools receive all support and resources provided to traditional CPS schools. District-Run Options profiles are varied but include programming for graduation acceleration, pregnant/parenting supports, and juvenile justice supports and transition with smaller class sizes.

Contract Options Schools

Contract Options Schools are managed by external operators and offer traditional or accelerated learning models with smaller class sizes.

Charter Options Schools

Charter Options Schools are managed by external operators and offer traditional or accelerated learning models with smaller class sizes.

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Alternative Learning Opportunities Programs (ALOP)

ALOPs are managed by external operators and offer self-paced, blended learning models with a half day scheduling option that follow all CPS policies and procedures.

Any 14 or 15 year old student who wishes to enroll in an ALOP must go through the 14/15 Year Old ALOP Enrollment Process.

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14/15 Year Old ALOP Enrollment Process

As of July 2019, all students who are 14 or 15 years old must receive permission from the 14/15 YO ALOP Committee to enroll in an Alternative Learning Opportunity Program (ALOP) campus. This protocol was put into place recognizing that only in exceptional cases will a half day, self-paced learning model best support high school students who are young and far from graduating high school. Students must have spent at least one (1) semester in their traditional CPS high school in order to have a request reviewed.

Contact your student’s school counselor who will gather information about the students/parents reasons for transferring and will submit a 14/15 YO ALOP Enrollment Request.
The school will be contacted to complete an Enrollment Survey regarding student challenges and interventions and support provided by the school.
A CPS multidisciplinary committee meets each week to review requests and make a decision regarding approval to enroll.
The parent will be contacted regarding the enrollment decision and next steps.

Contact a SOAR Center representative who will gather information about the students/parents reasons for transferring and will submit a 14/15 YO ALOP Enrollment Request.
The parent will be contacted to complete an Enrollment Survey regarding student challenges and interventions and support provided by their previous school.
A CPS multidisciplinary committee meets each week to review requests and make a decision regarding approval to enroll.
The parent will be contacted regarding the enrollment decision and next steps.

Resources

14/15 Year Old ALOP Enrollment Process Map

For additional information or support in enrolling a student in an Options School, please contact the Office of Innovation and Incubation at 773-553-1530, 42 W. Madison, Chicago, IL 60602.