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CPS Opportunity Index

The SY25 Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Opportunity Index scores can be found in the SY25 | Opportunity Index Scores file. Please view the Frequently Asked Questions or reach out to equity@cps.edu if you have additional questions.

What is the CPS Opportunity Index?

The CPS Opportunity Index is a tool that uses school, community, and historical factors to measure differences in access to opportunity across schools in the district. It helps ensure that schools with high levels of need get the resources they require to have strong and healthy school communities. CPS Offices, Networks, and External Partners can use the Opportunity Index when deciding how to distribute resources.

CPS Opportunity Index Individual School Scores

The Opportunity Index measures disparities in access to opportunity by analyzing 11 indicators of a school's demographics, community, and historical funding. A higher score signifies a greater level of need. Search below to find the individual score for your school.

School Opportunity Index information was not found. Please choose another school.

Opportunity Index Sum Score  

 
11
Low
30
Moderate
55
High
Range of Need

Opportunity Index Average Score  

 
0
Low
2.5
5
High
Range of Need

School Demographic Factors

% of Students with Disabilities

Simpson Diversity Index

% of English Learner Students

% of Students in Temporary Living Situation

% of Teachers Retained

Community Factors

200% of Poverty Rate

Chicago Hardship Index

% Uninsured

Community Life Expectancy

Historical School Funding Factors

School Budget & Changes in School Budget

Capital and Outside Funding

Resource equity at CPS

At CPS, we are committed to Equity. We use an Equity Lens in all our work to understand the structure and conditions that create and sustain systemic inequities. This helps us make the necessary changes to build more equitable learning environments where all students can achieve their full potential. In alignment with the CPS Strategic Plan, “Success 2019: Together We Rise,” and the CPS Equity Framework, the Opportunity Index (OI) is a tool to help achieve Resource Equity. Resource Equity means consistently giving priority and resources such as staff, time, and money, based on the different levels of need and opportunity across our schools. The Opportunity Index operates on the principle of Targeted Universalism. This means that different groups might need specific support to achieve the same goals.

The Opportunity Index is based on many years of research about how school districts can consider systemic oppression and distribute resources to equitably support all students. Experts in child development understand that a child’s well-being is affected by their immediate surroundings (like school), which exist in larger community and historical factors that shape policies, opportunities, and social norms.

Equitable-Outcomes graphic

Developing and updating the
Opportunity Index

The CPS Opportunity Index was created by working with CPS staff, community members, and research partners to make sure their opinions and needs were central to the process. The Office of Equity is committed to continuously improving the Opportunity Index, and used Inclusive Partnerships, which is a key part of the CPS Equity Framework, to revise the previous version (the SY24 Opportunity Index). This was accomplished with the SY25 Opportunity Index Working Group (OIWG), which led to the development of the SY25 Opportunity Index. To learn more about the process of updating the Opportunity Index, please review the SY25 OIWG Phase 1 Summary. This revision process made sure to include the input of different people, including those with long-term experience with the Opportunity Index, those affected by decisions around the Opportunity Index, and those responsible for using the Opportunity Index.

SY25 CPS Opportunity Index

The SY25 CPS Opportunity Index consists of 11 distinct indicators across three main categories. Below are brief descriptions of the categories and indicators. For more in-depth descriptions, rationale, and data sources for each indicator, please refer to the “Metric Descriptions” tab in the SY25 | Opportunity Index Scores file.

School Demographics

These indicators reflect the characteristics of the students attending the school.

  • % of Students with Disabilities: The percentage of all enrolled students with an assigned Individualized Education Program (IEP)
  • % of English Learner Students: The percentage of all enrolled students designated as English Learners
  • % of Students in Temporary Living Situations (STLS): The percentage of all enrolled students who are designated as STLS
  • % of Teachers Retained: The percentage of staff employed in the previous school year who are still with the school in the current school year
  • Simpson Diversity Index: This index measures the likelihood that two randomly selected students will be of the same race (how not diverse a school is)

OI graphic school

How the Opportunity Index should
(and should not) be used

The Opportunity Index helps CPS Offices, Departments, Networks, and external partners understand the levels of need in schools across the district or a network so they can share resources equitably and prioritize schools that have less opportunity than others. The Opportunity Index should not be used to measure the needs of individual students or groups within one school - for that, other tools such as the CPS Student Prioritization Index (SPI) and the CPS Resource Equity Tool should be used. It is important to know that the Opportunity Index is not a rating or evaluation of how well a school is performing. Instead, it is a way for the district to hold itself accountable and check if it’s meeting the needs of schools based on their past and present needs for resources.

Methodology

The CPS Opportunity Index scores are calculated for traditional elementary and high schools, both those managed by the district and charter schools. Some types of schools, including Options, Safe, Early Learning Centers, and Specialty, are not given Opportunity Index scores because their structures and resourcing are different from traditional schools. The data for the CPS Opportunity Index will be updated once a year.

Each indicator’s data is divided into five equal groups called quintiles, with each quintile representing 20% of the values. This helps compare data with different ranges. Each quintile corresponds to a score between 1 and 5 depending on proximity to opportunity and level of need. An indicator score of 1 means closer access to opportunity/lowest need and 5 means furthest from access to opportunity/highest need. Quintiles are calculated separately for elementary and high schools. Charter schools’ indicator scores are calculated based on the quintiles identified from district-managed schools’ data.

A school’s Opportunity Index score can either be calculated as the average or the sum of their 11 indicator scores. Both the average and sum scores are mathematically equivalent. The Office of Equity suggests that stakeholders use the average score which calculates the final score for each school between 1 (closest to opportunity/lowest need) and 5 (furthest from opportunity/highest need).

The sum score is used in certain cases such as the CPS School Budget formula. 

Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Creating and Updating the Opportunity Index

Using the Opportunity Index

Calculating the Opportunity Index

CPS Opportunity Index Questions?

If you are interested in learning more about the CPS Opportunity Index, please contact the Office of Equity at equity@cps.edu