Morgan Park High School has had an extensive program of recruitment since beginning magnet programs in 1982. In 1995, a counselor (who lives in the attendance area and has children at the school) was added to the staff to coordinate recruitment efforts. Recruitment is one of the major duties of this counselor (who is also the IB counselor), and is shared by the magnet program coordinators.

In the early fall, Morgan Park has an informational meeting for parents and students interested in the Prospective IB Program. The principal, coordinator, counselor, teachers and students in the program are present to explain the program and to address questions. Letters are sent to attendance area schools and area magnet schools to advertise this meeting.

In November, Morgan Park has a Sunday afternoon Open House for all programs. There are presentations followed by school tours led by students. Parents and potential students may visit classes in all departments where teachers explain (and students often demonstrate) subject area curricula.

Visits to explain programs are made to attendance area public and private elementary schools. Included in the visits are public feeder schools: Barnard, Cassell, Clissold, Esmond, Kellogg, Mount Greenwood, Shoop and Sutherland. In addition to school visits, recruiters attend events such as PTA dinners, PTA evening meetings and a high school fair sponsored by the local alderman. Area private schools visited are St. Christina, St. John Fisher, Holy Name of Mary, Queen of Martyrs and St. Walter. Recruiters attend a high school night for students at Christ the King, St. Barnabas, and St. Cajetan Schools. In addition, the Morgan Park Catholic School Ministry Center holds an evening informational meeting for the pastors of local Catholic churches with elementary schools. One of the Catholic schools, St. John Fisher, recently hosted students from Morgan Park in an effort to form a closer relationship between public and non-public schools in the area.

Non-feeder public schools with magnet programs and other high performing public and private schools are visited to attract competent students to Morgan Park's magnet programs. Included are Jane Addams, Ashburn Lutheran, Burnside Scholastic Academy, Emmanuel Christian, Grissom, Andrew Jackson Language Academy, Lenart Gifted Center, Marsh, Metcalfe, Murray, Owen Scholastic Academy, Pershing Magnet, Ray, Turner-Drew Language Academy, and Vanderpoel Magnet.

Within the Morgan Park Junior High Gifted Program, the counselor visits all classes of eighth grade students to explain the IB Program. The IB coordinator also holds small group meetings where targeted students in this program speak to 9th graders who graduated from the Morgan Park Gifted Junior High and are enrolled in the Prospective Pre-IB Program. This provides eighth graders with a student's experience of the IB program.

Publicity for Morgan Park and its programs includes materials such as a general brochure of all programs, a Prospective IB brochure and a Morgan Park folder. These are distributed at school visits, open houses and meetings. Advertisements regarding meetings and Open House at the school are placed in local newspapers (Villager and Beverly Review). These and other newspapers (such as the Southtown and the Defender) also often carry articles about Morgan Park programs and events through the efforts of a teacher in charge of publicity. This teacher also publishes a monthly newsletter, Empehi-Lites, which is sent to area schools and community members, politicians, and key Chicago Public School personnel. This publication reports student and faculty activities, awards and school functions. All parents coming to pick up their students' grades at the first quarter receive the November issue which includes information about the school's Open House. Each spring a special edition of Empehi-Lites is sent to 7th graders (for their parents) in our feeder schools. The issue concentrates on why staff members currently choose to send their own children to Morgan Park. Flyers announcing recruitment events are sent to schools in the attendance area and other targeted schools. These events as well as others are also promoted by announcements on the school marquee.

Other recruitment includes a mailing to students in the school's region with above average standardized test scores in reading and math. The mailing includes a letter of invitation to apply for the Prospective IB Program, an application form, a brochure and an Open House flyer. The mailing list is obtained from the Chicago Public Schools Office of Equal Educational Opportunity.

Morgan Park also offers eighth grade students the opportunity to "shadow" current students in their classes on regular school days. Responses to these requests, as well as to all personal calls regarding programs, are handled in a friendly and professional manner.

An early fall breakfast is also held at the school for area and gifted school principals, counselors and eighth grade teachers to explain application procedures and programs.

The Beverly Area Planning Association, a local organization in the western portion of the attendance area, has the mission of sustaining and enhancing Beverly Hills/Morgan Park as a culturally diverse area with increasing home values, high quality schools, thriving commercial areas and a low crime rate. Its education director also assists in promoting Morgan Park High School and its programs to area schools and residents.

Academic criteria for application and admittance into the Prospective IB Program are:

These criteria have been explained to students, parents and teachers at meetings and are included in our informational brochure distributed at all recruitment events.

Of the nearly 400 initial applications received for the 9th grade class of 1998-99, approximately 150 met basic criteria of stanines, report cards and attendance. These applicants were invited to come to Morgan Park for the writing sample and written statement of interest in participating in Morgan Park's Prospective IB Program. Students meeting writing criteria were invited for student-parent interviews. Based upon interviews, students were invited to register as ninth graders in the Prospective IB class of 1998-99.

We will monitor students to determine whether our selection criteria are adequate in choosing successful candidates for the IB Program.