Is Northwood Middle School a good school?

Northwood Middle School ranks 324 th of 1363 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Northwood Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 478 students attended Northwood Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Northwood Middle School?

Students at Northwood Middle School are 49% Hispanic, 41% White, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 1% African American.

What high school do graduates of Northwood Middle School attend?

Students who attend Northwood Middle School usually go on to attend Highland Park High School

Northwood Middle School

Summary:

Northwood Middle School is a public middle school located in Highland Park, Illinois, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 478 students. The school is part of the North Shore School District 112, which is ranked 114 out of 813 school districts in Illinois and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Northwood Middle School's academic performance, as measured by the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) in English Language Arts and Mathematics, is generally lower than the district and state averages, with proficiency rates ranging from 39.8% to 57.8% across different grade levels and subjects. However, the school's performance on the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) is stronger, with 58.2% of students proficient or better, compared to the district's 70.1% and the state's 53.2%. The school's performance varies across different student subgroups, with Multi-racial and Special Education students performing well, but Asian, Hispanic, and Low Socio-Economic Status students performing relatively lower. Northwood Middle School has also experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 3.2% in the 2019-2020 school year to 29.6% in the 2020-2021 school year, which remains higher than the district and state averages.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Edgewood Middle School, Northbrook Junior High School, and the Lake Forest and Deerfield middle schools, Northwood Middle School's academic performance is generally lower across various subject areas and grade levels. However, the school's relatively high per-student spending of $22,941 in the 2022-2023 school year and low student-teacher ratio of 9.5 suggest potential areas of focus for improvement and support. Addressing chronic absenteeism and continuing to support the diverse needs of the student population will be crucial for the school's future success.

Detail:

Public 6-8

945 North Ave
Highland Park, IL 60035-1129

(224) 765-3600

District: North Shore School District 112

SchoolDigger Rank:
324^th of 1,363 Illinois Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $24,813

Students who attend Northwood Middle School usually attend:

High:

Highland Park High School

Feeder schools for Northwood Middle School:

Elementary:

Wayne Thomas Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 9.5

Number of students: 478

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

49.2%

White:

41.2%

Two or more races:

5.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 44.6%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Northwood Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Northwood Middle School ranks better than 76.2% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 71.95. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Northwood Middle School is $24,813.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Northwood Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Northwood Middle School 324^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Northwood Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Military Connected students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

North Shore School District 112:

SchoolDigger ranks North Shore School District 112 114^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Northwood Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Northwood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	71.42	358^th	1185	69.8%
2004	78.68	252^nd	1204	79.1%
2005	80.77	211^th	1209	82.5%
2006	76.65	267^th	1272	79.0%
2007	71.85	350^th	1287	72.8%
2008	62.03	584^th	1293	54.8%
2009	60.02	610^th	1318	53.7%
2010	71.96	388^th	1327	70.8%
2011	66.61	506^th	1344	62.4%
2012	58.01	647^th	1365	52.6%
2013	67.18	421^st	1367	69.2%
2014	72.06	337^th	1322	74.5%
2015	61.94	390^th	1302	70.0%
2016	55.46	502^nd	1294	61.2%
2017	56.60	494^th	1293	61.8%
2018	67.43	364^th	1293	71.8%
2019	66.89	396^th	1356	70.8%
2021	69.13	302^nd	1241	75.7%
2022	65.95	376^th	1369	72.5%
2023	67.84	353^rd	1367	74.2%
2024	71.95	324^th	1363	76.2%

See the entire list of Illinois Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Northwood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	91.43	11^th	184	94.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Northwood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	38.09	180^th	285	36.8%
2019	43.89	160^th	339	52.8%
2021	47.52	100^th	277	63.9%
2022	46.72	177^th	454	61.0%
2023	34.00	340^th	480	29.2%
2024	45.41	204^th	486	58.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Northwood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	57.88	159^th	602	73.6%
2019	51.44	255^th	792	67.8%
2021	53.51	154^th	548	71.9%
2022	54.63	195^th	781	75.0%
2023	80.16	99^th	805	87.7%
2024	86.41	74^th	802	90.8%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Northwood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	47.18	562^nd	1161	51.6%
2019	41.39	701^st	1217	42.4%
2021	50.99	408^th	1019	60.0%
2022	51.88	488^th	1221	60.0%
2023	44.10	642^nd	1234	48.0%
2024	46.35	585^th	1219	52.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Northwood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	66.95	351^st	1226	71.4%
2019	67.60	358^th	1276	71.9%
2021	65.95	286^th	1017	71.9%
2022	63.20	381^st	1286	70.4%
2023	66.60	351^st	1275	72.5%
2024	69.00	331^st	1251	73.5%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Northwood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	65.65	124^th	674	81.6%
2024	65.66	130^th	639	79.7%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Northwood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	64.68	4^th	12	66.7%
2024	68.04	4^th	12	66.7%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Northwood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	63.47	370^th	1223	69.7%
2019	64.59	384^th	1296	70.4%
2021	65.99	266^th	1048	74.6%
2022	67.02	329^th	1286	74.4%
2023	66.87	332^nd	1292	74.3%
2024	73.17	274^th	1264	78.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Northwood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	41.36	119^th	192	38.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Northwood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	43.67	313^th	590	46.9%
2019	31.44	457^th	639	28.5%
2021	47.22	234^th	517	54.7%
2022	50.92	270^th	662	59.2%
2023	45.51	311^th	661	53.0%
2024	52.17	253^rd	643	60.7%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Northwood Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	80.42	123^rd	889	86.2%
2019	81.19	116^th	905	87.2%
2021	87.16	71^st	813	91.3%
2022	70.22	211^th	898	76.5%
2023	79.14	140^th	895	84.4%
2024	76.43	153^rd	875	82.5%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, April 12, 2019

in my opinion -this is a horrible school ran by a horrible principal. the illegal immigrant population in this school is high and it reflects the percent that are on free or reduced lunch on the tax payers dime. the principal appears to be sympathetic to illegal immigrants (at the expense of tax payers of course) and even goes so far as to put signs in spanish and english but makes sure to put the sign in spanish first. i hate her and i hate that school. again in my opinion -the teachers are sub par at best. Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, December 17, 2016

The kids run the school. Teachers cannot handle the many unruly children. Swearing is allowed. The gym teacher plays inappropriate music with the word f--k.Not a class act school. I'm tired of hearing how great this school is....when you have to sell poop you better say that it's great poop i guess. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Northwood Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1994	227	25	25	68	0	n/a	n/a	0	345
1995	261	35	20	95	0	n/a	n/a	0	411
1996	261	35	20	95	0	n/a	n/a	0	411
1997	253	27	21	108	0	n/a	n/a	0	409
1998	261	24	21	106	1	n/a	n/a	0	413
1999	282	20	19	96	1	n/a	n/a	0	418
2000	299	26	17	111	1	n/a	n/a	0	454
2001	324	16	25	113	1	n/a	n/a	0	479
2002	306	17	13	108	1	n/a	n/a	0	445
2003	306	17	13	108	1	n/a	n/a	0	445
2004	281	18	13	106	0	n/a	n/a	0	418
2005	261	23	13	106	0	n/a	n/a	0	403
2006	236	18	15	101	0	n/a	n/a	1	371
2007	229	13	15	108	1	n/a	n/a	2	368
2008	229	10	7	140	0	n/a	n/a	3	389
2009	236	17	9	162	0	n/a	n/a	6	430
2010	244	13	8	168	0	n/a	n/a	5	438
2011	238	14	6	192	3	3	11	0	467
2012	224	15	3	190	5	1	9	0	447
2013	244	17	4	195	2	1	8	0	471
2014	261	9	7	197	2	0	9	0	485
2015	270	8	17	211	0	0	8	0	514
2016	247	15	24	226	4	0	3	0	519
2017	202	19	24	231	1	0	1	0	478
2018	211	16	19	238	3	0	6	0	493
2019	220	13	20	256	1	0	6	0	516
2020	220	8	14	266	1	0	9	0	518
2021	215	7	15	269	0	0	10	0	516
2022	183	4	11	225	0	0	12	0	435
2023	197	5	15	235	1	1	24	0	478

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Northwood Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	345	34.3	10.1	n/a
1995	411	35.0	11.7	n/a
1996	411	35.0	11.7	n/a
1997	409	36.5	11.2	n/a
1998	413	36.5	11.3	n/a
1999	418	36.7	11.4	n/a
2000	454	35.5	12.8	n/a
2001	479	39.2	12.2	n/a
2002	445	41.7	10.7	18.2
2003	445	41.7	10.7	18.2
2004	418	40.0	10.5	21.3
2005	403	40.0	10.1	26.6
2006	371	39.0	9.5	30.5
2007	368	39.0	9.4	32.8
2008	389	32.0	12.2	37.3
2009	430	41.3	10.4	36.1
2010	438	45.5	9.6	40.4
2011	467	44.4	10.5	42.6
2012	447	43.2	10.3	43.8
2013	471	46.0	10.2	42.9
2014	485	43.4	11.1	40.4
2015	514	45.0	11.4	41.1
2016	519	44.0	11.7	40.5
2017	478	41.5	11.5	44.6
2018	493	43.8	11.2	48.3
2019	516	46.3	11.1	46.3
2020	518	50.4	10.2	49.2
2021	516	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	435	51.2	8.4	48.5
2023	478	50.1	9.5	44.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Northwood Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	345	34.3	10.1	n/a
1995	411	35.0	11.7	n/a
1996	411	35.0	11.7	n/a
1997	409	36.5	11.2	n/a
1998	413	36.5	11.3	n/a
1999	418	36.7	11.4	n/a
2000	454	35.5	12.8	n/a
2001	479	39.2	12.2	n/a
2002	445	41.7	10.7	18.2
2003	445	41.7	10.7	18.2
2004	418	40.0	10.5	21.3
2005	403	40.0	10.1	26.6
2006	371	39.0	9.5	30.5
2007	368	39.0	9.4	32.8
2008	389	32.0	12.2	37.3
2009	430	41.3	10.4	36.1
2010	438	45.5	9.6	40.4
2011	467	44.4	10.5	42.6
2012	447	43.2	10.3	43.8
2013	471	46.0	10.2	42.9
2014	485	43.4	11.1	40.4
2015	514	45.0	11.4	41.1
2016	519	44.0	11.7	40.5
2017	478	41.5	11.5	44.6
2018	493	43.8	11.2	48.3
2019	516	46.3	11.1	46.3
2020	518	50.4	10.2	49.2
2021	516	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	435	51.2	8.4	48.5
2023	478	50.1	9.5	44.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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