Welcome to AJLA Home Page!

Welcome to:
Andrew Jackson Language Academy (AJLA)
Chicago Public Schools
Site last updated 2/05/2010
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1340 West Harrison St. (600 S.)
Chicago, Illinois 60607-3317
(773) 534-7000 (main office)
Region 3; Area 9; Unit 4690; General Services Route 39
Click Here for a map to our school

Mr. Mathew Ditto, Principal
Ms. Carol McCollum, School-Wide Coordinator
Ms. Maggie Kempster, Clerk

Jackson Language Academy is a magnet school which provides world language instruction as an integral part of the basic program for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The goals of the program are to provide the opportunity for proficiency in another language, create the potential for a 13-year sequence in a single language for students who begin foreign language in kindergarten, and facilitate an expanded awareness and appreciation of our ethnically and racially diverse population.

World Language

Students at Jackson receive extensive instruction in Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, or Chinese four days per week. Each language serves an equal number of students. The curriculum not only emphasizes the skills of understanding and using these languages, but also introduces students to the geography, history, and traditions of other cultures. As a result, students are more adequately prepared for the international marketplace, and for success in the 21st century. Click on the "Languages" button on the upper left for further information.

Computer Program

Computers are utilized in every classroom at Jackson to reinforce basic skills and encourage critical thinking skills in students. In addition, the school's new computer lab (2007) offers instruction in mathematics, reading, writing, and problem solving. The lab is also utilized by students for weekly classes in computer literacy and learning technology. Our lab is fully networked to broadband Internet and file servers according to the CPS' Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). We thank the 2007 Silent Auction benefit for the new computers, as well as Northwestern University's College of Education for the set-up and configuration.

Highlights of the School Community A close and neighborly relationship exists between Jackson Language Academy and University of Illinois at Chicago. There have been numerous collaborative efforts on instructional projects, including the school-wide implementation of the TIMS program, an instructional initiative which integrates the teaching of mathematics and science. In turn, Jackson has assisted the University by serving as a center for elementary education majors to conduct their field experiences.