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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Community Schools Initiative (CSI)
We support implementation of the CPS Community Schools strategy to establish designated schools as central, neighborhood locations. Community Schools offer students and adult family members a variety of opportunities to learn beyond the classroom. They partner with community groups to connect children and families to a range of wrap-around supports and services that foster individual and economic well-being. The CSI also extends the hours that schools are open so buildings may stay in use up to seven days a week and during the summer, creating a vibrant community meeting place.
Additional Contact Information
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Community Schools Initiative (CSI)
773-553-3138
773-553-6558 (Fax)
2651 W. Washington Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60612