Chicago Public Schools students are graduating from high school at near record-high rates, but only half who enroll in college will complete their credential within a decade, a new report says.

The overall college completion rate for CPS alumni is 48% — below the national average of 64%, according to an annual study from the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research and the To&Through Project.

“Getting students into college is a great first step, but starting college and not completing is not a good outcome, for the most part,” said Alex Usher, director of data and research at the To&Through Project. “There’s definitely work to be done ahead.”

Each year, researchers calculate a measure called the postsecondary attainment index: If 100 students started ninth grade in CPS today, 84 would graduate from high school, 58 would enroll in college immediately, and 30 would complete a college credential in 10 years. Those numbers are almost identical to last year’s report.

Researchers didn’t directly address why completion rates remain low. But experts cite a range of barriers to earning a degree — including soaring costs, complex program requirements and limited support systems.

The study notes that the predictions are just “a starting place.” As the district continues to improve, future student outcomes will follow suit, according to researchers.

“To me, the real value of the (attainment index) is almost like a rallying point, or a motivating point,” Usher said. “The system can, and has changed, and this doesn’t have to be a prediction or destiny.”

The disparities are even wider across race and gender. In the graduating class of 2018, Asian and white women were most likely to complete college, each with completion rates of 81%. Meanwhile, Black men had the lowest completion rates at 27%, followed by Black women and Latino men, at 40%.

A July study found that Illinois students from the lowest-income families are three times more likely than their wealthier peers to drop out. Some of it is tied to the types of postsecondary institutions low-income students attend, researchers said. For-profit colleges, which tend to lead to greater debt, disproportionately recruit Black and Latino students. Those students are also overrepresented at community colleges, where they often face complex transfer processes.

Usher said it puts the onus on colleges and universities to increase their student support, alongside CPS. “The student body at a lot of colleges and universities is changing. It’s not what it was 30 or 40 years ago,” she said. “They need to change in response if we’re going to move these completion rates.”

The class of 2024, which is central to the data, also started high school during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sudden shift to remote learning widened achievement gaps and contributed to high chronic absenteeism rates across the district. Researchers noted that the pandemic’s residual impacts are likely reflected in student outcomes.

Those students faced other challenges as well. A delayed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) release date last year led to corresponding delays in financial aid packages. The cohort was also the first to apply to college after the U.S. Supreme Court ended affirmative action, which may have affected some students’ sense of belonging in higher education, the report noted.

Still, there’s some good news from the data. Among the CPS class of 2024, 66% enrolled in a two-year or four-year college in the first summer or fall after graduation. That outpaces the national average of 61%.

A record number of CPS alumni also graduated from a college with a degree or certificate this year: 7,368 students from the class of 2018.

“I think it’s just such a testament to the work that the district, and the wider ecosystem in Chicago has been doing around college enrollment,” Usher said.

In fact, CPS has shown significant growth over the past decade, across multiple metrics. A decade ago, researchers predicted that just 73% of then-ninth graders would graduate, and 40% would enroll in a four-year college (compared with 84% and 43% this year).

And while graduation rates are slightly down, they’re still hovering above the post-COVID low of 82% in 2021.

“I don’t think most Chicagoans know how much progress we’ve made in the last 20 years, and even in the last 10 years,” Usher said.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/02/cps-graudate-high-school-college/ 

Dear Eric: I have a good friend whose memory seems to me to be slipping. She laughs it off, saying she has so much going on that she can’t remember things, but I think there is something else happening.

Should I say something and encourage her to see a doctor? I could talk to her husband to see if he is noticing anything. Maybe he should be the one to encourage her to talk to a doctor.

– Concerned Friend

Dear Friend: Try both options. Talk to her in a kind, nonjudgmental way about what you’re noticing and ask her if she’s noticed the same things, too. This can be a vulnerable thing to hear about oneself, so empathy is going to be your friend here. Also, reassure her that you’re not diagnosing her, but that there’s no harm in checking in with her doctor. Isn’t it better to be told, “it’s nothing” or “it’s normal” than to wonder? Even if she’s not experiencing a cognitive decline, talking to a professional about the many things she has going on might give rise to other solutions that will make her life easier.

Prevention is also a major component of healthy aging, so talking to a doctor, particularly a geriatrician, now could help her avoid issues in the future.

You can also mention to her husband that you’ve noticed this pattern and ask him what his observations have been. If he has noticed the same things, it could be helpful and motivating to have his feelings validated. If he hasn’t noticed anything, it could put your mind at ease while also prompting him to keep an eye out. The most important thing is that your friend has people in her life who have her best interests in mind and want to make sure she stays safe, healthy and independent.

Dear Eric: My wife and I will soon receive a small inheritance from the death of one of my relatives. Since we do not need most of this money, we have decided to distribute it among our children and grandchildren.

Here is the problem: my son’s wife had a daughter years before she married my son. We see this person about two or three times a year.

In your opinion, is she entitled to receive the same amount of money from this inheritance as my other grandchildren? Also, is she considered to be a step-grandchild?

– Gift Giver

Dear Giver: No one is entitled to the money, no matter their relationship with you and your wife. The money is yours to do with as you please and so you ought to consider where and with whom it can do the most good. Also consider how the dynamic within the family would change if you chose not to give your step-granddaughter any money.

If you’re just looking for the best way to distribute the funds and wondering if you have to include her equally, the answer is no, you don’t. But it seems needlessly complicated to calculate how much a step-relationship is worth in comparison to a blood relationship. Plus, it introduces a hurtful hierarchy.

This ties into the second question. Every family defines the terms and contours of their relationships. So, in some families, a connection of this type might just be considered another grandchild. It’s really up to you and to her.

If you desire to have a closer relationship with your son’s wife’s daughter, you should pursue that separately from the inheritance. As I like to say, money talks but it mumbles, so it’s better to say what we feel and what we’re trying to communicate directly.

Dear Eric: I saw a similarity between my parents and “Overwhelmed”, who wrote that hosting all the holidays and special occasions was getting to be too much. You gave the writer several good suggestions. I thought I’d add what my parents did about 10 years ago, when they were in their 70s. They said to my siblings and me, “We have enjoyed hosting for all these years, but it has become too much for us. Moving forward, please work out among yourselves who will host. We will be delighted to show up and bring whatever (dish, wine, et cetera) you ask.”

It’s not the same as it used to be, of course, but it’s OK for traditions to change. We love our parents, and they’ve earned the rest. We can step up and take turns hosting among the siblings.

– The Next Generation

Related Articles

Dear Generation: Shout it from the rooftops: it’s OK for traditions to change! I love this. And kudos to your parents for being willing to change and being willing to ask for what they need. It empowers everyone to show up better and more conscientiously and keeps the tradition from petering out.

(Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.)

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/02/asking-eric-should-i-give-her-the-same-inheritance-as-my-other-grandchildren/ 

Por MIKE FITZPATRICK

NUEVA YORK (AP) — El relevista agente libre Devin Williams acordó un contrato con los Mets de Nueva York, dijo el lunes por la noche una persona familiarizada con las negociaciones a The Associated Press.

La persona habló con la AP bajo condición de anonimato porque el acuerdo estaba pendiente de un examen físico y no había sido anunciado.

Varios informes de medios indicaron que las partes acordaron un contrato de tres años.

Williams pasó la última temporada al otro lado de la ciudad con los Yankees de Nueva York, logrando un récord de 4-6 con un promedio de carreras limpias de 4.79, el peor de su carrera, y 18 salvamentos en 22 oportunidades. Perdió el puesto de cerrador, lo recuperó y luego lo perdió nuevamente antes de terminar el año con cuatro salidas sin permitir carreras durante los playoffs de la Liga Americana.

El derecho de 31 años es dos veces All-Star y ha ganado dos veces el Premio Trevor Hoffman al Relevista del Año de la Liga Nacional con los Cerveceros de Milwaukee mientras el presidente de operaciones de béisbol de los Mets, David Stearns, dirigía ese equipo. También fue votado como el Novato del Año de la Liga Nacional en 2020.

Milwaukee traspasó a Williams a los Yankees a cambio del lanzador Néstor Cortés y el infielder Caleb Durbin el pasado diciembre.

Con los Mets, Williams podría reemplazar al cerrador agente libre Edwin Díaz o complementarlo en un bullpen renovado.

Williams estaba lanzando para los Cerveceros cuando permitió un jonrón de ventaja al toletero de los Mets, Pete Alonso, en el decisivo Juego tres de su Serie de Comodines de la Liga Nacional 2024. El batazo de tres carreras puso a Nueva York por delante en la novena entrada, y los Mets ganaron la serie.

Conocido por su cambio de velocidad tan engañoso que se le llama “The Airbender”, Williams ponchó a 90 bateadores y otorgó 25 bases por bolas en 62 entradas a lo largo de 67 apariciones durante su única temporada con los Yankees. Ganó 8.6 millones en 2025.

Después de que los Yankees fueron eliminados de la postemporada, Williams dijo que estaba abierto a volver a firmar con el equipo.

“Al principio fue un desafío, pero he llegado a amar estar aquí”, dijo el relevista en octubre tras una derrota 5-2 ante Toronto en el Juego 4 de su Serie Divisional de la Liga Americana. “Amo esta ciudad. Me encanta tomar el tren al campo todos los días. Sí, realmente disfruté mi experiencia aquí.”

___

El escritor de béisbol de AP, Ronald Blum, contribuyó a este informe.

___

Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/01/mets-acuerdan-contrato-con-el-relevista-agente-libre-devin-williams-segn-fuente-de-ap/ 

LOS ÁNGELES (AP) — Dillon Brooks anotó 33 puntos, Collin Gillespie añadió 16 de sus 28 unidades, el máximo de su carrera, en el último cuarto, y los Suns de Phoenix rompieron enfáticamente la racha de siete victorias consecutivas de los Lakers de Los Ángeles con una victoria de 125-108 el lunes por la noche.

Devin Booker consiguió 11 unidades antes de salir con dos minutos restantes en el primer cuarto debido a una lesión en la ingle derecha, sin embargo, los Suns jugaron de manera notable en ausencia de su máximo anotador.

Gillespie logró un récord personal de ocho triples para Phoenix, que había perdido tres de cuatro. Los Suns forzaron 22 pérdidas de balón de los Lakers y se adelantaron con una ventaja de 21 puntos en el tercer cuarto, aplastando a Los Ángeles a pesar de los 38 tantos de Luka Doncic.

Austin Reaves añadió 16 puntos para los Lakers, que jugaban su tercer partido en casa en cuatro noches. Los Ángeles estuvo mayormente apático después de que Doncic anotara 20 en otro fenomenal primer cuarto.

LeBron James terminó con diez tantos, manteniendo apenas viva su increíble racha de anotar en doble dígito en 1.297 juegos consecutivos de temporada regular. James encestó un triple con 6:51 restantes para preservar la racha, que comenzó el 7 de enero de 2007, menos de tres semanas después de que naciera Cooper Flagg.

Brooks anotó 23 puntos con 11 de 16 tiros en la primera mitad, tomando la delantera ofensiva con Booker fuera de juego. Gillespie tomó el control en la segunda mitad con una serie de grandes tiros desde el perímetro.

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Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/01/suns-rompen-racha-de-siete-victorias-de-lakers-con-triunfo-125-108-pese-a-quedarse-sin-booker/ 

A trial opened Monday for a Merrillville man accused of killing his estranged girlfriend.

Dennis Jelks, 60, is charged with murder in the January 2021 death of Angela Carrier, 37, of Crown Point. He has pleaded not guilty.

Carrier went with relatives on Jan. 26, 2021 to the Merrillville Menards to swap stuff with Jelks after a breakup. Jelks claimed he didn’t have the mail. He convinced Carrier to leave with him just around 1:30 p.m., and she was never seen alive again.

Carrier died sometime between Jan. 26-30, 2021, the affidavit states.

She was found shot twice in the back of the head on Jan. 30 near 30th Avenue and Jackson Street, documents state. A firearms expert estimated the bullet casings came from a .38-caliber or .357-caliber gun.

Carrier’s family told police he was abusive and kept a gun in his trunk.

Jelks told investigators after leaving Menards, he went with her to buy marijuana from “Tone” near 42nd Avenue and Jackson Street. Two car doors opened, Carrier got into a black car that took off.

He fell, dropped his keys and lost track of the other car, he said. He called 911, records show. Det. Nick Wardrip discounted his story, writing that it wasn’t backed up by evidence.

Cell phone data showed Jelks’s device pinged at Menards, then near 30th and Jackson around 2 p.m. — where Carrier’s body was later found. Afterward, the cell phone went to Jelks’ brother’s house, according to the affidavit.

Deputy Prosecutors Infinity Westberg and Chris Bruno argued in court documents that the couple had a “long and tumultuous” relationship and Jelks was the last person seen with her while she was alive. His cell phone pinged near where her body was found, and he “repeatedly lied” to police, his friends and family.

Defense lawyer Michael Lambert wrote in court filings that prosecutors had “no direct evidence” or “physical evidence” tying Jelks to her death. They “created a tale” to fit “their narrative,” he wrote.

He argued the case was based on testimony from Carrier’s relatives and “tidbits” of cell phone data, with police “opinions” of his credibility. Jelks’ DNA wasn’t found at the crime scene, he wrote. Prosecutors couldn’t definitely prove when she died.

Carrier struggled with drugs, Lambert wrote, citing her mother’s testimony, and would “go away for extended periods of time.”

Jelks petitioned for a speedy trial.

On Monday, prosecutors played a phone call that Carrier’s stepfather Shannon Smith recorded when he called Jelks shortly after her disappearance. He testified he never saw Carrier again after she left with Jelks. Her dogs were left alone, alarming her family.

“Dude, you got something to do with it,” Smith said on the call.

“This ain’t Ang,” he said at one point, to leave the pets alone.

Jelks denied any involvement.

Carrier’s son Caleb said the couple’s relationship was “toxic” and they were in the process of breaking up. He and Smith went with her to a Menards parking lot so Jelks would give her mail from the Social Security Administration back so she could still get her benefits.

How long have you known Jelks, a deputy prosecutor asked.

“Too long,” he replied.

Shianne Carrier, her daughter, said she wasn’t at the Menards. Her grandmother called her to see if she’d heard from her mother.

Jelks’ story had inconsistent details, namely the color of the car he said she left in. Shianne called Angela “over a thousand times.” Jelks would often call her after she did from his own phone, raising her suspicions. She recalled a conversation around the time of the couple’s split.

“If I can’t have her, nobody can,” she recalled Jelks saying.

Joshua Harper, who had been dating Carrier on-and-off since 2018, said he knew she was in the process of splitting from Jelks. At the time, Harper was in a “wheelchair” after falling off a roof at a job site.

He messaged her he was headed to physical therapy and were supposed to meet up later. At some point, she stopped responding.

Post-Tribune archives contributed.

mcolias@post-trib.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/01/trial-opens-for-merrillville-man-accused-of-killing-estranged-girlfriend/ 

Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lauri Markkanen anotó 29 puntos y Keyonte George añadió 28 mientras el Jazz de Utah superó el lunes por la noche 133-125 a los Rockets de Houston.

Kevin Durant, impreciso durante gran parte del juego, anotó 16 de sus 32 puntos en el último cuarto para Houston. Alperin Sengun logró 31 puntos y empató su récord personal con 14 asistencias. Amen Thompson sumó 23 puntos para los Rockets (13-5), que habían ganado cinco seguidos como visitantes.

Una bandeja de Sengun acercó a los Rockets a 126-123 con 52.7 segundos restantes, pero George encestó cinco de seis tiros libres y añadió un robo en el tramo final para asegurar la victoria.

Los equipos jugaron el domingo por la noche en Utah y los Rockets se impusieron con una victoria de 129-101. Este fue un contraste notable ya que los Jazz lideraron casi todo el juego.

George, quien no anotó y tuvo ocho pérdidas de balón el domingo, lanzó ocho de 14 desde el campo y repartió ocho asistencias.

Jusuf Nurkic tuvo un máximo de temporada de 18 puntos y nueve rebotes antes de salir por faltas, y Ace Bailey añadió 13 puntos mientras Utah (6-13) mejoró a 6-seis en casa.

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Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/01/markkanen-anota-29-y-george-suma-28-en-victoria-de-jazz-133-125-sobre-rockets/ 

Bloom and Providence move even closer to the top, while T.F. North enters the rankings.

Top 10

With records through Monday and previous rankings in parentheses.

1. Marist 5-0 (1)

Caroline Flynn and the red-hot RedHawks outscore their first five opponents 327-124.

2. Bloom 4-0 (3)

A 67-10 win over Rich Township raises eyebrows for Jayla Tyler and the Blazing Trojans.

3. Providence 5-0 (4)

Morris transfers Landrie and Layken Callahan are already making their presence felt.

4. Mother McAuley 3-1 (2)

Taji Alexa scores 31 points for Mighty Macs in home opener against Lake Zurich.

5. Lincoln-Way West 4-1 (7)

Molly Finn passes 1,000-point mark in her career during a 60-32 win over Oak Lawn.

6. Homewood-Flossmoor 3-2 (6)

Losses to powers Kenwood and Benet shouldn’t derail Aunyai Deere and talented Vikings.

7. T.F. South 7-1 (9)

Gigi Dillon barely misses triple-double with 19 points, nine rebounds and nine steals vs. Lakes.

8. T.F. North 4-0 (NR)

Lauryn Jackson already records three double-doubles for the Red Wolves.

9. Lincoln-Way East (10)

Sophomore forward Samantha Hellrung is starting to make some noise for the Griffins.

10. Lockport 2-2 (8)

Katie Peetz and Porters try to recover from downstate losses to Breese Central and O’Fallon.

Player of the Week

Senior guard Kamryn Turner scores 80 points and adds 14 assists and 11 steals in four games to help Bloom win the inaugural Rich Township Hardwood Classic.

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/01/jeff-vorva-ihsa-girls-basketball-rankings-player-of-the-week-southland/ 

A Crown Point studio art teacher is accused of groping a 14-year-old girl.

Thomas Liubakka, 67, of Crown Point, is charged with two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor.

He posted a $3,000 cash bond on Nov. 26. His next court date is Dec. 10.

“We are deeply saddened by these accusations, and are eager to prove Mr. Liubakka’s innocence in court,” his lawyer Ferdinand Alvarez said in an email. “He remains, like every other individual facing charges in this State and country, absolutely innocent until proven guilty.”

The girl told a teacher at school, which called her mother, charges state.

The victim and her mother told police on Sept. 11, 2025 that when she signed up for a second year of classes in fall 2024 at Liubakka Studio, located at 225 S. Main St., in Crown Point, she was the only student in the class. The studio was housed in a church basement.

When she thought it was strange, Liubakka said the other students were still on summer or fall break. He declined the mother’s request to put the girl in another class, saying they were full.

During a Nov. 7 class, he took the victim upstairs to a computer lab that he said he planned to develop for his studio.

Liubakka locked the door, pushed her against a desk and touched her buttocks and hips. He touched her chest just before they left, documents state.

The girl “felt like she blacked out,” according to the affidavit.

Afterward, he acted like nothing had happened, charges allege. His assistant was not a work that day, the girl noted.

In retrospect, the girl alleged he was “creepy” and stared at her in class in a way that had nothing to do with her artwork. She felt he was testing boundaries and using “grooming” techniques.

She thought he was “safe” because he worked “with kids,” according to the affidavit.

The victim said she didn’t tell anyone for a year. At some point, she removed him from her Instagram page. Afterward, he repeatedly tried to follow her again.

In a police interview, he denied the allegations. When a detective asked if he would do a “voice stress analysis test,” Liubakka said he wanted to talk to a lawyer.

mcolias@post-trib.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/01/crown-point-art-teacher-groped-teen-charges/