YCCS meets the individual needs of students through programs
committed to academic excellence, human development, cultural
enrichment, and social equity. The achievement gap for high school
graduates in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system was steadily
increasing in the early 1990s. Facing a dropout crisis, it was estimated
that Chicago students were as likely to drop out as they were to
graduate. In 1996, legislation creating charter schools in Illinois opened
a new revenue stream to support existing alternative schools and
address the dropout rate. Paul Vallas, the former CPS CEO, pursued
this funding, contracting with YCCS a non-profit, public high school.
In 1997, YCCS became the first and only alternative education system in
Illinois dedicated to serving dropouts and students at risk of
educational failure. Partnering with community-based, youth-serving
organizations in Chicago, YCCS began its mission to advocate, develop,
and provide world-class education.
Today, YCCS is recognized as a national model for cooperative,
community-based, high-quality academic and support services. YCCS
serves all Chicago area students, offering opportunities for them to
achieve excellence in a challenging educational environment that
stimulates interest, channels energies, and develops the abilities of
youth to their fullest potential in high school and beyond.