Chicago Classical Schools

Chicago Classical Schools provide a challenging liberal arts course of instruction for your gifted child. Curriculum in these schools is accelerated and highly structured for strong academic achievement in literature, mathematics, language arts, world language, and the humanities. With a focus on teaching the whole child in an academically advanced culture, Classical Schools provide and environment of collaboration, leadership, and celebrate diversity, while establishing highly successful and socially aware students in every community. All children must take an admissions test for Classical Schools.

About Chicago Classical Schools

• Classical Schools offer challenging core classes, such as literature, mathematics, language arts, humanities, and world language.
• Classical schools offer a variety of classes, such as cooking, theater, learning garden, science labs, computer labs, rock climbing walls, French and Latin.
• Classical Schools have Partnerships with such organizations as the Art Institute, Go Get Your Smock, Performing Arts Limited, the Chicago Children’s Choir, Chicago State University and DePaul University..
• Classical Schools provide extracurricular activities before and after school, such as Chess Ed, Little Linguists, Girls on the Run and Let Me Run.
• Classical schools begin with full-day K – 6th grade, with the exception of Skinner West and Skinner North schools, which continue through the 8th grade.

Where to Find Classical Schools

There are 5 classical schools in CPS (Chicago Public School):

• Decatur
• McDade
• Poe
• Skinner North
• Skinner West

How to Apply to Classical Schools

First you must fill out the application for Selective Enrollment Elementary Schools (SEES).

After filling out the application, your child must take an admissions test. If your child is in K – 4th Grade, he will be given an age-appropriate test. However for 5th – 8th Grade, your child’s NWEA MAP scores must be at or above a certain percentile in reading and math to be eligible for testing.

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