CHICAGO - Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced that Hyde Park Career Academy High School will become the fourth, wall-to-wall International Baccalaureate (IB) school.

“Every student in every neighborhood in Chicago deserves access to a high-quality education,” said Mayor Emanuel.  “By adopting the rigorous IB Programme, Hyde Park High School will provide students in this community with the opportunity to excel.  As we’ve seen time and time again, when you set the bar high, Chicago’s students rise to meet the challenge.”

Located in the Woodlawn neighborhood, Hyde Park Career Academy will join Roberto Clemente Community Academy in Humboldt Park, Back of the Yards High School and Senn High School in Edgewater as four of five new, wall-to-wall IB schools opening across the District.  In the coming weeks, CPS will announce the additional one high schools that will adopt the wall-to-wall IB Programme. 

“Expanding this one-of-a-kind program to every student in Hyde Park High School will create an environment that encourages success and helps prepare students for college,” said Dr. Byron T. Brazier, pastor of Apostolic Church of God.  “Children in this community will be given an expanded opportunity to achieve academic excellence, and this change demonstrates the Mayor’s strong commitment to high-quality education in every community.”

In 2001, Hyde Park became an authorized International Baccalaureate World School, offering the college preparatory curriculum through its Middle Years and Diploma programs.

In March, Mayor Emanuel and CPS CEO Jean-Claude Brizard announced the District would open five new IB programmes in neighborhood schools and five wall-to-wall IB schools in fall of 2013 with final authorization set for 2016.

The strategic expansion of IB programmes throughout the District is part of the continuing effort to provide high quality school options for every student in every neighborhood across the City of Chicago. The decision to convert Hyde Park High School into a wall-to-wall IB school was made after significant engagement with the community and discussions with key community stakeholders.

According to the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research, CPS IB students are 40 percent more likely to attend a four‐year college and 50 percent more likely to attend a more selective college. Additionally, IB student’s college retention rate is nearly 90 percent. 

In a wall-to-wall IB school, every freshman and sophomore student will participate in what is called the Middle Years Programme (MYP). After sophomore year, students can proceed to either the full Diploma Programme, opt for an IB certificate where students can take one or more IB classes, opt for an IB career related certificate or fulfill an IB core requirement. Ultimately, every student at Hyde Park will touch the IB Programme in some way.

CPS currently offers IB programmes to approximately 3,500 students throughout the city at 13 high schools: Amundsen, Bogan, Curie, Hubbard, Hyde Park, Kelly, Lincoln Park, Morgan Park, Prosser, Steinmetz, Senn, Taft, and Washington. Ogden and Shore South Shore International College Prep have recently opened and are going through the authorization process. There are also programs at 21 CPS elementary schools. Approximately 75 percent of CPS’ IB students are African-American and Latino, and live in low-income neighborhoods, the majority being first generation college students.

Located at 6220 S. Stony Island, Hyde Park currently has approximately 1,200 students enrolled. The school offers a wide array of extracurricular activities such as band/orchestra, graphic design, activism and social impact clubs, JROTC, boys’ and girls’ basketball, baseball, tennis and swimming.

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