Dr. Janice Jackson | Aspen Institute - Show Notes
Dr. Janice Jackson on Scaling Solutions
On this episode of The Education Equation, host Jeremy Singer speaks with Dr. Janice Jackson, former CEO of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and Executive Director of the Aspen Institute's Education and Society Program.
Dr. Jackson, a CPS alumna, discusses her journey leading the nation’s fourth-largest school district. She notes that her time as a principal provided the best preparation for the superintendency. Under her leadership, CPS boosted its graduation rate from 55.8% in 2010 to 82.5% in 2020. This dramatic turnaround was driven by intentional work, including making students take a college entrance exam to graduate and implementing the Freshmen on Track system, which was informed by data from the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. This success was built on data transparency, accountability, principal empowerment, and strong public-private partnerships.
The conversation moves to Hope Chicago, the two-generation debt-free scholarship model she founded. Hope Chicago provides debt-free support (tuition, books, fees, and a stipend) to students from neighborhood high schools. By reducing financial risk, the model has significantly increased matriculation rates from about 57% to about 85% today. First-year persistence also increased from 61% to about 75%, demonstrating that removing debt and providing one-on-one support boosts college success.
Now at the Aspen Institute, Dr. Jackson is exploring the future of student outcomes on a national level. She emphasizes the need for leadership to address major challenges like economic preparedness, the impact of AI and EdTech, and the rise of alternative schooling models. Her goal is to translate her lessons from Chicago to a national context, advocating for a return to non-political accountability to ensure every child can succeed.
Dr. Jackson's education book recommendation: "It's Being Done": Academic Success in Unexpected Schools
Key Takeaways:
- Principal Power: The principalship is the single best leverage point for large district change.
- Data-Driven Turnaround: CPS used the "Freshmen on Track" indicator to drive a dramatic increase in its graduation rate from 55.8% to 82.5%.
- The Affordability Barrier: Hope Chicago's debt-free scholarship model significantly increases college matriculation and persistence rates for low-income students by eliminating financial risk.
- National Education Gaps: At Aspen, Dr. Jackson is focusing on creating a new course for education that addresses economic preparedness, AI integration, and the regulation of alternative schooling models.
Why You Should Listen:
Dr. Jackson offers a rare perspective, having led one of the country's largest school districts through a period of significant positive change. Her work provides clear, data-backed examples of how systemic improvements can be achieved. Listen for her insights on transforming a large school system and why her work now focuses on setting a new, accountable course for American education.
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Time Stamps:
- [00:00:54] Introduction to Dr. Janice Jackson's background
- [00:05:37] The principalship as the best preparation for CEO
- [00:14:15] Achieving CPS’s historic graduation rate increase
- [00:29:21] Launching and scaling Hope Chicago
- [00:36:06] Setting a new course at the Aspen Institute