Summary:
The three middle schools located in Cook County School District 130 in Illinois serve students in grades 6-8. These schools, Veterans Memorial Middle School, Nathan Hale Middle School, and Everett F Kerr Middle School, face significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to their predominantly economically disadvantaged student populations.
Among the three schools, Everett F Kerr Middle School stands out as the highest-ranked, at 802 out of 1,363 Illinois middle schools in 2023-2024. This school also achieved the highest proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Science, and had the lowest student-teacher ratio, indicating a potentially more favorable learning environment. Nathan Hale Middle School was the second-highest ranked, with the highest proficiency rates in 8th grade English Language Arts and overall Science, as well as the second-lowest student-teacher ratio.
However, all three schools performed below the state averages in both English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. The schools' high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 26.1% to 34.1%, likely contribute to their academic challenges. Additionally, the schools' high levels of economic disadvantage, with free and reduced-price lunch rates ranging from 79.4% to 90.54%, suggest that additional resources and targeted interventions may be needed to support student learning and improve overall academic performance.
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