All About Kenwood Academy’s Academic Center

With the Academic Center Entrance Exam coming up this month and next, Test Prep Chicago is featuring some of the top Academic Center options in Chicago for 7th and 8th graders. This week, we’re spotlighting Kenwood Academy’s Academic Center, a program with a long-standing reputation in Chicago Public Schools and a strong option for students ready for accelerated academics in middle school.

Kenwood Academy's Academic Center is a selective enrollment public school located in Chicago’s Hyde Park-Kenwood neighborhood, which serves students in grades 7 and 8. Like with any Academic Center attached to a CPS selective enrollment high school, students who complete their 7th and 8th grade years at the Academic Center are guaranteed a seat at Kenwood Academy High School should they want it, allowing for a smooth transition into ninth grade.

One of the defining features of Kenwood’s Academic Center is that it places middle school students in a high school setting with increased academic expectations. The program is designed to provide accelerated instruction that goes beyond the standard middle school curriculum, helping students develop strong study habits, independence, and readiness for high school coursework. Academic Center students take core classes such as math, science, English language arts, and social studies at an advanced pace compared to traditional middle schools. Kenwood’s Academic Center also stands out for offering students the opportunity to earn high school credit while still in middle school, depending on the course. These credits can count toward high school graduation requirements for students who remain at Kenwood, giving them early exposure to advanced academic pathways. This structure allows motivated students to move into higher-level coursework once they enter high school.

As part of the larger Kenwood Academy community, Academic Center students benefit from being on a campus with a wide range of extracurricular opportunities. Kenwood Academy is known for its strong arts programs, including band, choir, and visual arts, as well as competitive athletic teams that participate in the Chicago Public League. The school also offers numerous student organizations and clubs that support interests in leadership, academics, and creative expression. While participation rules vary by activity, Academic Center students are connected to this broader environment, and are able to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities.

Overall, Kenwood Academy’s Academic Center offers a well-rounded academic experience for students who are ready for greater challenges and responsibilities in middle school. At Test Prep Chicago, we support students preparing for the Academic Center Entrance Exam/Regional Gifted Center Test by offering one-day workshops (click here) and individual tutoring (click here). Our programs focus on building strong test-taking strategies, reinforcing essential tactics and skills necessary to succeed on the exam, offering plenty of test-taking practice, and helping students approach the test with confidence. Interested in learning more about the exam itself? Check out our breakdown here.

Dates for Non-CPS Students to Take the NWEA MAP Test

On Friday, February 14th, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced the dates below for non-CPS 5th and 7th-grade students to take the NWEA MAP test for admittance into Academic Centers or Selective Enrollment High Schools, respectively. In order to take the test on a date listed below, parents must register their students on the CPS website by Friday, April 3rd.

TEST DATES

Saturday, May 9th

Sunday, May 10th

Saturday, May 30th

Sunday, May 31st

Saturday, June 6th

Sunday, June 7th

In the past, non-CPS students took the NWEA MAP test in the fall of their 6th and 8th-grade years. However, CPS announced that this school year, 2019-2020, as well as moving forward, non-CPS and CPS students will take the test at the same time. While CPS students will be taking the test in their neighborhood schools, non-CPS students will take the test at Curie Metropolitan High School, Lane Tech High School, or Lindblom Math and Science Academy, all free of charge. Students will be assigned a testing location closest to their home address.

As a reminder, the NWEA MAP test is a common-core-aligned, computer-adaptive test designed to quantify a student’s knowledge of math and reading. It is untimed, and students may elect to take the math section and the reading section on the same or different days.

In addition, this test provides 1/3 of the points required to attend an Academic Center or Selective Enrollment High School. Each section of the test is worth 150 points, with a total of 300 points up for grabs based on their NWEA MAP score. An additional 300 points are taken from a student’s 5th or 7th-grade grades, with a final 300 points available from the Academic Center Exam or Selective Enrollment High School Exam (SEHS), respectively.

Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266