Latino pupils fare well on shorter test
Big changes in a little-known test helped lift the fortunes of nearly 100 schools in the Chicago area--all of which recorded big increases in the reading results of immigrant pupils....
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Despite fast strides, some still fall short
Three years ago, 18 percent of South Loop Elementary 3rd graders passed the state reading exam. Last school year, 58 percent did so. About 13 percent of 5th graders passed...
EPA tells polluters it wants less data
Americans soon could be getting less information about toxic chemicals released into the environment. Under a proposal from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, industrial companies would be freed from reporting...
College forges ties to Latino community
When Gorette De La Rosa of Round Lake found a college, she didn't have to look far: The College of Lake County was cheap, close and even nice to her...
EPA cites smelter in Pilsen over lead
In the eerie glow of street lamps, smoke rolls down a Pilsen street next to a smelter that churns more toxic lead into the air than any other factory in...
Perils plague porch death site for years
It took the death of 9-year-old Tiara Woods, plunging three stories through a broken porch railing, to cast a spotlight on the dangers at a South Side apartment building. Yet...
Landlords fail to fix poor’s housing woes
As Chicago bulldozes its notorious high-rise housing developments, low-income families have moved into a growing network of private buildings with conditions sometimes as dire as public housing complexes. Families shiver...
Landlords fail to fix poor’s housing woes
As Chicago bulldozes its notorious high-rise housing developments, low-income families have moved into a growing network of private buildings with conditions sometimes as dire as public housing complexes. Families shiver...
Tax proposal shifts pain
From wealthy big-city enclaves to middle-income Downstate communities, homeowners would see a 20 percent increase on average in their combined property and state income tax bills if Illinois overhauls how...
North Side sees big jump in murders
As homicides continue to drop across Chicago, the North Side has seen a sudden spike in killings, confounding police who say they have no strategy to combat the crimes. Stretching...