Annual Regional Analysis (ARA)

The CPS Annual Regional Analysis (ARA) is a collection of comprehensive district data reports presented in one place without recommendations or suggestions for action. These reports ensure that CPS leadership, educators, students, and families are working from the same information and help us make informed, equitable decisions that meet the unique needs of every child.

The ARA supports CPS’ goal of providing every student with a high-quality education in every neighborhood by giving stakeholders consistent information regarding school quality, enrollment patterns, school choice, and program offering by region. The goal is to ensure that every student in Chicago has access to quality public schools and a variety of schools and programs.

By doing this, the ARA supports community dialogue and district planning to address the central guiding question - “What do families and communities need in terms of school options?”

Released every year, the ARA contains an overall district report and 16 distinct regional reports. It includes data on all CPS schools - traditional neighborhood schools, Charter schools, Selective Enrollment, Magnet, Special Education Specialty, and Options High Schools. It uses regional boundaries developed by the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development based on housing and employment research. These boundaries use natural borders such as rivers and train lines to divide Chicago into 16 distinct areas that are more consistent than city wards or CPS school networks.