About Us
CICS West Belden is a premier urban charter school in Chicago’s Belmont-Cragin neighborhood. Lauded for consistently superior student growth, West Belden boasts a dedicated staff that fosters close relationships with parents to ensure student achievement. In the 2013-2014 school year, CICS West Belden was awarded a Summer Design Program Grant that helped create a state-of-the-art blended learning environment. A $100,000 technology planning grant set the stage for implementation of a robust personalized learning model. Our school was awarded a substantial Breakthrough Schools Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) Personalized Learning Grant which helped our teachers take personalized learning at every grade level to even greater heights!
CICS West Belden balances personalized learning strategies including flexible learning environments, learner profiles, personalized learning plans, competency based progression, and technology-enhanced instruction with strong curricular approaches to encourage students' success and growth. More than 40% of CICS West Belden graduates over the last four years have been accepted to CPS Selective Enrollment High Schools. In addition, West Belden has consistently achieved a CPS 5 Essential Survey rating of "Well Organized" - the highest rating in all areas of school performance.
Mission
The mission of CICS West Belden, in partnership with families and the community, is to motivate, challenge, and empower today’s students through personalized innovation and choice so that they may achieve success tomorrow.
Vision
Our vision is to close the achievement gap by increasing the number of high achieving charter schools and consequently the opportunities for low-income children to succeed in school, in college, and in life. We rely on proven strategies and state-of-the-art technology to create rich learning environments for students and teachers, while making effective use of available resources.
