A survey was done to evaluate the impact of local school councils on Chicago (Illinois) Public School reform efforts and to share those findings with the local schools. Nearly 700 council members responded to the survey. Major findings indicate the following: (1) councils have organized themselves, evaluated their principals, and participated in the school improvement and expenditure planning process; (2) councils have directed principals in several management activities and make recommendations for change and improvement in their schools; (3) members have contributed significant time to school improvement and participated in regular council meetings, committee meetings, training sessions, and preparatory meetings; (4) members have also participated in sessions beyond those mandated by the legislation, although some have yet to attend sessions on educational theory, personnel selection, and legislation; (5) on a five-point scale, members rated themselves at 4.0, district offices at 3.4, and the Central Service Center at 2.8; (6) in organizing the councils, members established bylaws, used rules of order, created a process to replace council vacancies, and sought information and assistance from a wide variety of providers; (7) members noted improvement in the areas of student performance, instructional programs, school climate, facilities, and staffing; although (8) teachers did not perceive improvements in these areas. Statistical data are provided in 23 tables. Six references are included. (JB)