As schools across the state begin to administer the controversial PARCC test to students, parents and legislators are pushing a movement and legislation to allow parents to let their children opt out of the test.

State lawmakers want to make it easier for students to skip the PARCC test by introducing a new bill to opt out of standardized testing.

The School Project is a Chicago-based documentary series that is tracking the past and present status of the city's public school system. The third segment explores school disciplinary policies and the effects they have on students, the community, and society as a whole.

We share what you had to say about PARCC testing and Steppenwolf Theatre's This is Modern Art in tonight's viewer feedback.

Over the weekend, students from 13 Illinois high school students competed for their chance to represent Illinois in a national cooking competition. The budding "cheftestants" may be only high school students now, but with the help of the ProStart Invitational competition, they can hope to be the next Grant Achatz or Stephanie Izard.

Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett announced this morning that the district will, in fact, administer the PARCC test to all required grades, rather than 10 percent of schools as previously planned. We have the details.

Recruiting college graduates into the popular teaching corps Teach For America isn't as easy as it used to be. We talk with them about what the organization thinks is causing the slowdown.

Voters across Chicago overwhelmingly support an elected school board, according to results of a non-binding referendum that appeared on the ballot Tuesday in 37 of the city’s 50 wards.

In recent weeks, the Chicago Board of Education has received letters from both the state Board of Education and the U.S. Department of Education threatening the loss of more than $1 billion if Chicago Public Schools fails to administer the controversial standardized test, PARCC. Wednesday's meeting is the Board's first since those communications from the state and federal governments. Find out what, if any, action they take. We also have reaction to the referendum on an elected school board, and information on what actions the school board is considering to save $10 million.

Pop diva Beyoncé is arguably the most popular performer in the world. But there's much more to her than her success as a provocative pop icon. That's the idea behind a new college course at UIC that delves into Beyoncé's role in shaping "feminist perspectives and [the image] of U.S. black womanhood."

How do you teach your children to be smart about money? New York Times personal finance columnist Ron Lieber seeks to answer that question in his new book, The Opposite of Spoiled. He joins us to discuss how to instill values and the value of the dollar in a younger generation.

The federal government is warning Chicago Public Schools against sanctions for its decision to administer the controversial PARCC test to 10 percent of students.

Two main tracks exist for professors in the academic world: tenured and non-tenured faculty. Across the nation, some non-tenured, adjunct faculty members are asking for higher wages, benefits and a more equal system. Can these two levels of professorship continue to exist? Is one becoming more predominant than the other? And what is the effect on the cost and quality of education? We discuss these questions and more with our panel.

Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis is back at work and talking to Chicago Tonight about her recovery, the mayoral race, and the controversial PARCC testing.

A controversial and expensive buyout for the president of the College of DuPage has enraged critics who say the $763,000 severance agreement lacks transparency and damages the publicly funded community college's reputation. We hear from the one board member who voted against the deal. 

A new project from the University of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools focuses on preparing middle school students for college readiness.