The Virtual Academy High School
CPS choice · 9-12
At a glance
On the 5Essentials survey, family involvement and instruction were both rated ‘Very Strong’ (5Essentials spring 2024 survey - benchmarked levels relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages).
- Academic fit
- Instruction was rated ‘Very Strong’ on the 5Essentials survey (5Essentials spring 2024 survey - benchmarked levels relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages). On the 5Essentials survey, school leadership was rated ‘Strong’ and teacher collaboration was rated ‘Strong’.
- Social-emotional fit
- The school’s supportive environment was rated ‘Strong’ on the 5Essentials survey (5Essentials spring 2024 survey - benchmarked levels relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages).
Computed from published data with its source and year on every clause - a description, never a grade.
Basics
CPS-published · verified Nov 2024
- Address
- 1326 W 14TH
- Neighborhood
- Near West Side
- Phone
- (773)553-2020
- Hours
- Unknown - not verified yet
- Before and after care
Supplemental care not found.
SchoolNav searched the school’s website and the main care providers’ pages in Sep 2026 and found no before or after care. Some programs are never posted online, so ask the school office or on a tour.
- Arts and creative
- Unknown - the sources could not be checked. Ask on a tour.
- Sports
- Unknown - the sources could not be checked. Ask on a tour.
- Climate survey
- Involved families
- Very Strong
- Supportive environment
- Strong
- Ambitious instruction
- Very Strong
- Effective leaders
- Strong
- Collaborative teachers
- Strong
- Safety (student-reported)
- Neutral
- Overall organization
- Well Organized
UChicago 5Essentials levels from the spring 2024 survey (CPS Progress Reports SY2425, verified 2026-09-25) - benchmarked categories relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages. A school can answer mostly positively and still rate below the benchmark typical.
5Essentials - the latest survey in detail
Teacher Safety, School Safety, and Student-Teacher Trust are rated above the CPS average; Inquiry-Based Science Instruction, Reflective Dialogue, and Math Instruction are rated below it this year.
From the 2026 CPS 5Essentials survey (25-26). Scores are benchmarked 1–99 (not percentages) - higher is stronger, and each is shown against the CPS average that same year. This is a newer survey on a different benchmark than the component levels above, so the two aren’t directly comparable.
Show all measures ▸Hide measures ▾
Ambitious Instruction
67 ▲ above the CPS average (60)- Academic Press· students-reported68 ▲ above the CPS average (55)
- English Instruction· students-reported83 ▲ above the CPS average (65)
- Math Instruction· students-reported65 ▼ below the CPS average (69)
- Quality of Student Discussion· teachers-reported52 ▬ about the CPS average (50)
Supportive Environment
76 ▲ above the CPS average (56)- Expectations for Postsecondary Education· teachers-reported59 ▬ about the CPS average (56)
- Safety· students-reported74 ▲ above the CPS average (49)
- School-Wide Future Orientation· students-reported80 ▲ above the CPS average (62)
- Student-Teacher Trust· students-reported91 ▲ above the CPS average (56)
Collaborative Teachers
70 ▲ above the CPS average (52)- Collaborative Practices· teachers-reported66 ▬ about the CPS average (63)
- Collective Responsibility· teachers-reported59 ▲ above the CPS average (52)
- Quality Professional Development· teachers-reported69 ▲ above the CPS average (55)
- School Commitment· teachers-reported75 ▲ above the CPS average (43)
- Teacher-Teacher Trust· teachers-reported81 ▲ above the CPS average (49)
Effective Leaders
72 ▲ above the CPS average (52)- Instructional Leadership· teachers-reported71 ▲ above the CPS average (56)
- Program Coherence· teachers-reported75 ▲ above the CPS average (52)
- Teacher Influence· teachers-reported77 ▲ above the CPS average (50)
- Teacher-Principal Trust· teachers-reported64 ▲ above the CPS average (48)
Involved Families
68 ▲ above the CPS average (50)- Parent Influence on Decision Making in Schools· teachers-reported65 ▲ above the CPS average (53)
- Parent Involvement in School· teachers-reported61 ▲ above the CPS average (49)
- Teacher-Parent Trust· teachers-reported77 ▲ above the CPS average (50)
Supplemental measures
Additional survey topics UChicago reports outside the five core measures.
- Academic Engagement· students-reported72 ▬ about the CPS average (70)
- Academic Personalism· students-reported72 ▲ above the CPS average (58)
- Classroom Disruptions· teachers-reported70 ▲ above the CPS average (42)
- Classroom Rigor· students-reported87 ▲ above the CPS average (57)
- Course Clarity· students-reported73 ▲ above the CPS average (54)
- Emotional Health· students-reported78 ▲ above the CPS average (57)
- Human & Social Resources in the Community· students-reported44 ▲ above the CPS average (38)
- Importance of High School for the Future· students-reported68 ▬ about the CPS average (67)
- Innovation· teachers-reported80 ▲ above the CPS average (56)
- Inquiry-Based Science Instruction· students-reported49 ▼ below the CPS average (59)
- Parent Supportiveness· students-reported55 ▲ above the CPS average (41)
- Reflective Dialogue· teachers-reported54 ▼ below the CPS average (61)
- Rigorous Study Habits· students-reported72 ▲ above the CPS average (57)
- School Connectedness· students-reported78 ▲ above the CPS average (58)
- School Safety· students-reported99 ▲ above the CPS average (57)
- Socialization of New Teachers· teachers-reported60 ▲ above the CPS average (40)
- Student Peer Relationships· students-reported99 ▲ above the CPS average (65)
- Student Responsibility· teachers-reported49 ▲ above the CPS average (38)
- Teacher Safety· teachers-reported96 ▲ above the CPS average (48)
UChicago Consortium — the 2026 cycle (school year 25-26) is re-benchmarked to spring 2024 (SY25+); it is NOT level-comparable to the spring-2013-benchmarked component levels shown elsewhere.
Programs (1)
| Program | Entry grades | How seats are offered | Test required | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
General enrollment Other Families do not choose this program in GoCPS. It is for students with serious medical needs, which CPS calls medically fragile. A family asks for it after accepting an in-person GoCPS offer. The school's principal told us this. The school also has a cluster program, which families request the same way. | Unknown | Other | Unknown | CPS-published · verified Oct 2026 |
Parent questions & conversation
What parents and people who know this school are asking, answering, and talking about - their own words, experiences and opinions rather than verified facts.
Parent notes on this school are visible to signed-in Chicago families. Sign in to read and ask.
SchoolNav is not affiliated with CPS. Details change - each fact above shows when it was last verified. Application decisions should always be confirmed in GoCPS.