Student Support and Engagement (OSSE) provides comprehensive supports to help students become more connected to and engaged in school. We provide re-engagement services for out-of-school youth; resources to eliminate barriers for students in temporary living situations; attendance and truancy guidance for families, schools, and networks; and extended learning opportunities to enhance all students’ core academic experience while engaging parents and community members in school-led activities.
Departments
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Attendance and Truancy
We lead and coordinate districtwide efforts to promote consistent student attendance and reduce chronic absence and truancy.
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Students in Temporary Living Situations (STLS)
STLS provides services for pre-K to 12th grade youths enrolled in a CPS school and their families who are experiencing homelessness. We address barriers to enrollment, transportation, attendance, retention, and access to information.
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Student Outreach and Re-Engagement (SOAR) Centers
We provide targeted outreach to out-of-school youth to re-engage, re-enroll, and persist in a best-fit educational setting with the goal of earning a high school diploma.
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Juvenile Justice Re-Entry Program
The Juvenile Justice team serves as a liaison between the Cook County Juvenile Justice system and CPS. We provide personalized supports for student transition and re-entry from Nancy B. Jefferson, the CPS school in the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC).
We work to ensure every student is welcomed and supported in re-entry, and schools are informed and prepared to receive them. The JJ team in OSSE reverses the school-to-prison pipeline to guide court-involved students back to educational engagement.
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Out-of-School Time (OST) Activities
We provide schools with the tools and resources to offer high-quality before school, after school and weekend programming that helps students stay engaged in school, discover new passions, and form positive relationships. We accomplish this by managing programs that provide direct funding for OST staff and supports (including the K-8 OST Award Program, After-School All-Stars, Science Olympiad, and You Be The Chemist) and supporting partnerships with external agencies who work with our schools.
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Academic Competitions
Academic Competitions offers fun and exciting opportunities for students to build and enhance their academic, pre-professional, and social-emotional skills in competitive and safe team environments.
We plan and host academic tournaments and competitions, manage the in-school and after school-based programs for participating district schools, and assist schools in securing funding and supplies for their programs.