ALTDEV DURING DEP FROM CHICAGO. WX WAS A FACTOR.

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WHILE DEPARTING ORD ARPT; WE WERE ON RADAR VECTORS AND LEVEL AT 5000 FT MSL. I WAS THE CAPT AND PF. WE WERE PARALLELING A LINE OF VERY SMALL BUILDUPS TO OUR L; TOPS AROUND 8000-13000 FT. ATC GAVE US A TURN TO THE L AND A CLB TO 14000 FT. I ASKED THE COPLT TO REQUEST WE DELAY THE TURN UNTIL WE COULD GAIN A LITTLE ALT. THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY; AND THE COPLT WAS UNABLE TO GET THE REQUEST IN. AS THE COPLT WAS TIED UP WITH THE RADIO WORK; AND I WAS ANXIOUS TO GAIN ALT AND COMPLY WITH THE LAST CLRNC; I SET THE 14000 FT IN THE ALT WINDOW; AND CONFIRMED IT WITH THE COPLT. I THEN BEGAN THE CLB; TURNING SLOWLY TO THE ASSIGNED HDG. I AM UNCERTAIN WHETHER THE COPLT WAS ABLE TO READ BACK THE CLRNC; AS THE CTLR WAS ISSUING INSTRUCTIONS NON-STOP. AS WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 13800 FT; THE CTLR QUESTIONED OUR ALT; AND STATED WE WERE ASSIGNED 13000 FT. WE IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO 13000 FT. I WAS CERTAIN THAT THE CLRNC WAS TO 14000 FT BUT SHOULD NOT HAVE PUT IT IN THE ALT WINDOW AS THE PF. THIS IS NOT SOP; AND MAY HAVE INFLUENCED THE COPLT IN WHAT HE THOUGHT THE ASSIGNED ALT WAS. THIS COM PROB CAN ALSO BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE CHANGE IN CTLR'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR READBACK OF CLRNCS. SINCE THE CTLRS ARE NO LONGER RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING THE CORRECT READBACK OF A CLRNC; THE COM PROCESS HAS NO FEEDBACK FOR FAULTY COM. I WAS VERY CERTAIN WE WERE GIVEN 14000 FT AND CONFIRMED THIS WITH THE COPLT. HOWEVER; BECAUSE OF THE CTLR'S HIGH WORKLOAD AND LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR READBACK VERIFICATION; HE HAD NO INCENTIVE TO WAIT FOR A READBACK. FURTHER; I'M NOT SURE A WRONG READBACK WOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT.