Chicago officials say schools have long way to go

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CHICAGO — The head of Chicago Public Schools says the nation's third largest district has a long way to go, even after the district's projected graduation rate is the highest on record.

The graduation rate is projected at more than 60 percent this year.

Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard and other school leaders discussed school initiatives driving the rising graduation rates during a weekend meeting. Parental involvement, longer school days and a new curriculum were among the initiatives spotlighted.

However, graduation rates for CPS students lag behind of the national average of 73 percent, and talk of a strike among CPS teachers has reached a fever pitch.

Brizard says many children and families in Chicago still lack high-quality school options.