In Fiscal Year 2007, Catalyst Chicago’s work impacted both policy and practice:

Achievement Academies: Careda Taylor, chief of staff of the Chicago Public Schools Office of High School Programs, reports that her staff used the Catalyst June 2006 issue on Achievement Academies as part of the program's formal evaluation, which is the basis for any needed modifications. As part of its coverage, Catalyst featured student advocates who help students deal with disruptive behavior. Believing that the advocates have played a major role in improved student retention, the program stepped up the quantity and quality of their professional training last year, focusing on retention strategies.

School overcrowding: Catalyst reporting on overcrowding and school facilities was cited repeatedly at a recent press conference and round-table discussion headed by Sen. Martin Sandoval and attended by a number of other elected officials as well as school activists. Virginia Martinez of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Julie Woestehoff of Parents United for Responsible Education and Jacqueline Leavy, formerly of the Neighborhood Capital Development Group, all cited our work.

In and out: Catalyst used Education Consortium data to update a series of stories the publication did in 1996 on student mobility. The data showed that while Hispanic children have become less mobile, African-American students in low-income neighborhoods continue to have a high mobility rate. Shortly after our stories were published, one of our sources, University of Chicago researcher Marisa de la Torre, was asked by the Chicago Public Schools to talk about her research at a senior staff luncheon that included several departments, including early childhood education and special education.