Michele Clark

What Michele Clark does

Michele Clark Academic Preparatory Magnet High School is a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) magnet high school located at 5101 West Harrison Street on Chicago's West Side in the South Austin Community, serving students in grades 9–12. The school opened in 1972 as Austin Middle School, was renamed in 1974 to honor Chicago journalist Michele Clark, and transitioned to a high school in 2002 with the addition of the first 9th grade class. Leadership comprises Principal Charles Anderson, Assistant Principal Vernon Driskell, IB Coordinator Anna Buford, Early College Coordinator Ternell Jordan, and STEM Coordinator Helen Loving, with approximately 50 staff members listed in the directory. Enrollment is managed through the CPS GO centralized admission system, with a dedicated transfer process for 10th and 11th graders and active recruitment via school tours and STEM Open Houses.

The school operates four integrated academic programs: the Early College STEM School (ECSS), the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, the JROTC leadership program, and a CTE Information Technology pathway. The ECSS program, anchored by Cisco Systems as flagship corporate partner and City Colleges of Chicago / Malcolm X College as the dual-credit partner, enables students aged 16+ to take college courses and graduate with both a high school diploma and an Associate's Degree, with up to 34 college credits earnable in a single year. The CTE IT pathway is delivered across five computer labs and prepares students for industry certifications including CompTIA A+ and N+, Microsoft MTA in Java, JavaScript, Python, HTML5, and Networking Fundamentals, CIW Advanced HTML5 & CSS3 Specialist and Site Development Associate, and Adobe Certified Associate Photoshop. Supporting partners include Chicago Architecture Center, Turner Construction Company Foundation (Teen Fellows), GEAR UP, and Introspect Youth Services. Digital infrastructure is powered by Edlio (website and admin portal), Aspen (CPS student information system), and Naviance (college and career planning).

As a public CPS institution, Michele Clark charges no tuition and is funded through the CPS district operating budget, federal and state grants (including Title I and GEAR UP), and community donations. Reported outcomes include a 100% graduation rate, $1 million+ in institutional and private scholarship offerings for the Class of 2019 alongside 100% college admissions for that cohort, and 12 Associate of Science graduates in 2025 with 4 Associate of Arts graduates expected in Spring 2026. The school is not a for-profit entity, has no private equity or venture capital ownership, is governed by a Local School Council, and operates under CPS district policies and oversight.

Name

Michele Clark

Legal name

Michele Clark Academic Preparatory Magnet High School

Website

https://micheleclark.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Michele Clark Academic Preparatory Magnet High School is a CPS magnet school on Chicago's West Side serving grades 9–12 through Early College STEM, IB, JROTC, and CTE Information Technology programs with dual-credit and industry certification pathways.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Junior Colleges (61121)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Magnet & Specialty Schools (STEM/Arts/IB/CTE) (EDAJAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dual Enrollment / Early College Programs (via Community Colleges) (EDAHADAH)

Keywords

• Public magnet school
• College preparatory education
• Secondary education services
• IB diploma program
• STEM early college

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: As a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) magnet high school, Michele Clark receives government funding through the CPS district budget. No tuition fees are charged to students. Additional funding comes from federal and state education grants, Title I programs, and community donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Michele Clark Academic Preparatory Magnet High School is a public magnet secondary school operated by Chicago Public Schools (CPS) that delivers tuition-free college preparatory education to high school students. Founded in 1972, the school offers specialized programs including the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, JROTC, and an Early College STEM program designed to prepare students for postsecondary success.

Product overview

Michele Clark Academic Preparatory Magnet High School offers a multi-program educational platform consisting of three integrated pathways: the Early College STEM School (ECSS) for earning college credits and an Associate's Degree while in high school, the International Baccalaureate (IB) program for global college preparatory education, and the JROTC program for leadership development. A CTE Information Technology pathway provides career-focused training with industry certifications. The school is equipped with five computer labs and partnerships with corporate sponsors like Cisco Systems for STEM enrichment. The entire school ecosystem is supported by Edlio-powered digital infrastructure including student portals, parent communication tools, and academic management systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Baccalaureate (IB) Program Rigorous college-preparatory IB curriculum offered to enrolled high school students seeking an internationally recognized diploma pathway.
• JROTC Program Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program providing leadership, citizenship, and military-readiness instruction to high school students.
• Early College STEM Program STEM-focused early college program enabling students to earn college credit while completing secondary education.
• College Preparatory Curriculum Core secondary college-preparatory academic program serving all enrolled students at the magnet school.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• City Colleges of Chicago (Malcolm X College)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership allows high school juniors and seniors (age 16+) to enroll in college-level courses for dual credit. Students can earn both high school and college credit simultaneously. Programs include dual enrollment and Early College options. Students may graduate with an Associate's Degree alongside their high school diploma. Contact: Nagieh Omer, Assistant Dean of Early College and Antonise Hightower, Early College Coordinator.
• Cisco SystemsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichele Clark's lead corporate partner for the Early College STEM School. Cisco provides mentors, site visits, job shadowing, and internship opportunities for students. The company also provides training and industry certifications to prepare students for technology careers in networking and IT.
• Lockheed MartinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced as an example of apprenticeship programs in the education context. Not directly partnered with Michele Clark but featured as a model employer offering registered apprenticeships in fields including software development, cybersecurity, and engineering.
• Chicago Architecture CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Chicago Architecture Center's Teen Fellows program, hosted in partnership with Harold Washington College and supported by the Turner Construction Company Foundation, provides Clark students opportunities to explore architecture and design careers while earning college credit and work alongside industry professionals.
• Introspect Youth ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Spring Break College Tour providing ACT Prep support and youth development services. Students must be registered with IYS to participate in the college tour program to universities including Vanderbilt, Tennessee State, Fisk, University of Louisville, and Kentucky State.
• GEAR UPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal grant program providing additional post-secondary support to students including SAT prep, core subject tutoring, and exposure opportunities such as trips, programs, and college fairs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• George Westinghouse College Prep: Chicago Public Schools selective-enrollment high school with STEM and early-college programming. Comparable as a CPS magnet serving similar West Side student populations with college-prep focus.
• Stuyvesant High School: Selective public STEM high school in New York City with high college-readiness outcomes. Comparable as a selective public magnet with strong STEM focus and a competitive admissions process.
• Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology: Top-ranked public STEM magnet high school in Virginia. Comparable as a selective public magnet with rigorous STEM and technology-infused curriculum and high college-readiness outcomes.
• Phoenix Military Academy: Chicago Public Schools magnet high school with JROTC program, similar to Michele Clark's JROTC offering. Comparable as a CPS magnet combining leadership/military education with college-prep academics.
• Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA): State-funded STEM magnet school in Illinois serving grades 10-12 with a focus on inquiry-based STEM learning and early college opportunities. Highly comparable residential/specialized academic model to Michele Clark's ECSS pathway.
• Lane Tech College Prep High School: Chicago Public Schools selective-enrollment STEM magnet with strong college-prep and career-pathway programming. Most direct CPS-district peer to Michele Clark, sharing the same admissions and funding system.
• North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics: State-funded public residential STEM magnet serving high-achieving juniors and seniors. Directly comparable as a STEM-focused public magnet with early college opportunities and industry partnerships.
• Curie Metropolitan High School: Chicago Public Schools selective-enrollment high school with strong STEM and CTE pathways. Comparable as a CPS magnet with comparable enrollment process and academic profile.

Emerging players

• BASIS Independent Schools: STEM-focused charter/independent school network with strong advanced-placement and college-readiness outcomes. Comparable in its STEM specialization and accelerated academic pathway, though operates in a private/charter model.

Others

• GEAR UP Programs (Federal): Federal college-readiness grant program that funds Michele Clark's SAT prep and college exposure activities. Relevant as an ecosystem-level enabler; comparable as a peer only in the sense of overlapping with the school's overall college-readiness mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mclarkeagles
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MClarkEagles
• Instagraminstagram.com/mclarkeagles
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/michele-clark

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Michele Clark