Is Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School a good school?

Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School ranks in the bottom 4.6% of Illinois high schools.

How many students attend Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 511 students attended Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School.

What is the racial makeup of Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School?

Students at Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School are 90% African American, 6% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School

Summary:

Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School is a public high school in Chicago, Illinois, serving 511 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299, which is ranked 688 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Illinois high schools over the past decade, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated significantly, ranging from a high of 89.8% in 2021-2022 to a low of 72.4% in the current 2023-2024 school year, well below the state and district averages. Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School has also experienced high dropout rates, ranging from 2.5% to 9.5% in recent years, and extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching as high as 91.9% in the 2022-2023 school year. Academically, the school has consistently low performance, with only 0-2.2% of students proficient or better in SAT Mathematics and English Language Arts over the past few years, well below the state and district averages.

When comparing Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School to the nearby King College Prep High School, located just 1.95 miles away, it becomes evident that the school is significantly underperforming, with higher graduation rates, lower dropout rates, lower chronic absenteeism, and better academic performance. Despite the school's poor performance, it has a relatively high per-student spending of around $21,000, which is comparable to the nearby schools, suggesting that the issue may not be solely related to resource allocation, but rather to other factors such as school leadership, curriculum, and student support systems.

Detail:

Public 9-12

3000 S King Dr
Chicago, IL 60616-3452

(773) 534-9000

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
665^th of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $26,834

Student/teacher ratio: 14.0

Number of students: 511

Racial breakdown:

African American:

89.6%

Two or more races:

5.9%

Hispanic:

4.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 88.6%

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Compare Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School ranks worse than 95.4% of high schools in Illinois. It also ranks 115^th among 145 ranked high schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.63. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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

Compare Details Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School has the largest high school student body size in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School is $26,834, which is the 37^th highest among 145 high schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School 665^th of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

Chicago Public Schools District 299:

SchoolDigger ranks Chicago Public Schools District 299 688^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School

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Rank History for all students at Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	1.18	563^rd	586	3.9%
2004	1.21	569^th	592	3.9%
2005	1.01	571^st	590	3.2%
2006	1.12	582^nd	596	2.3%
2007	1.03	601^st	612	1.8%
2008	1.36	606^th	624	2.9%
2009	1.44	620^th	632	1.9%
2010	2.40	615^th	643	4.4%
2011	1.92	641^st	655	2.1%
2012	1.90	642^nd	665	3.5%
2013	1.71	655^th	670	2.2%
2014	2.29	642^nd	670	4.2%
2015	10.98	587^th	614	4.4%
2016	9.14	631^st	643	1.9%
2017	3.75	636^th	642	0.9%
2018	5.10	643^rd	647	0.6%
2019	7.42	667^th	701	4.9%
2021	8.35	667^th	688	3.1%
2022	7.01	687^th	699	1.7%
2023	7.56	688^th	699	1.6%
2024	10.63	665^th	697	4.6%

See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	27.23	248^th	374	33.7%
2019	29.55	306^th	473	35.3%
2021	29.28	270^th	453	40.4%
2022	31.21	286^th	493	42.0%
2023	21.07	375^th	476	21.2%
2024	20.75	377^th	482	21.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	8.14	581^st	585	0.7%
2019	11.95	595^th	639	6.9%
2021	12.21	580^th	611	5.1%
2022	10.47	617^th	626	1.4%
2023	10.16	632^nd	644	1.9%
2024	13.10	605^th	639	5.3%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	28.47	46^th	98	53.1%
2023	28.07	55^th	104	47.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	5.72	609^th	620	1.8%
2019	8.60	612^th	665	8.0%
2021	8.44	616^th	639	3.6%
2022	7.21	646^th	658	1.8%
2023	8.29	635^th	656	3.2%
2024	11.61	623^rd	664	6.2%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	23.38	382^nd	428	10.7%
2024	27.00	261^st	429	39.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	4.78	616^th	619	0.5%
2019	6.55	666^th	675	1.3%
2021	8.58	626^th	653	4.1%
2022	7.31	652^nd	664	1.8%
2023	7.38	663^rd	668	0.7%
2024	10.02	632^nd	668	5.4%

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

Rank History for African American students at Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	19.54	242^nd	253	4.3%
2019	22.76	256^th	299	14.4%
2021	23.07	241^st	281	14.2%
2022	20.53	279^th	294	5.1%
2023	19.94	288^th	301	4.3%
2024	24.35	253^rd	299	15.4%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for African American 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

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Enrollment information for Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	2275	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	2275
1990	n/a	2240	n/a	1	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	2241
1991	0	2146	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	2146
1992	3	2052	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	2055
1993	0	2070	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	2070
1994	16	2059	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	2075
1995	0	2082	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	2083
1996	0	2082	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	2083
1997	4	2115	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	2119
1998	4	2003	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	2008
1999	1	1869	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1871
2000	1	1830	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	1832
2001	0	1809	0	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	1816
2002	0	1573	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	1579
2003	0	1573	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	1579
2004	5	1551	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	1561
2005	1	1667	0	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	1676
2006	2	1601	1	9	3	n/a	n/a	11	1627
2007	2	1723	0	12	0	n/a	n/a	15	1752
2008	1	1542	0	6	4	n/a	n/a	22	1575
2009	2	1556	1	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	1567
2010	3	1589	1	13	2	n/a	n/a	0	1608
2011	2	1497	2	17	2	1	9	0	1530
2012	1	1391	2	16	1	1	10	0	1422
2013	1	1229	2	13	0	1	7	0	1253
2014	2	1103	2	10	0	0	6	0	1123
2015	2	974	1	13	1	0	6	0	997
2016	3	721	1	10	1	0	1	0	737
2017	2	540	0	11	0	0	0	0	553
2018	0	423	0	15	0	0	1	0	439
2019	2	297	0	13	0	0	0	0	312
2020	1	327	0	14	0	0	2	0	344
2021	1	393	0	7	0	0	0	0	401
2022	0	473	0	7	1	0	0	0	481
2023	1	458	0	21	1	0	30	0	511

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 Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	2275	141.4	16.0	n/a
1990	2241	141.6	15.8	n/a
1991	2146	140.6	15.2	n/a
1992	2055	134.7	15.2	n/a
1993	2070	134.9	15.3	n/a
1994	2075	119.8	17.3	n/a
1995	2083	123.2	16.9	n/a
1996	2083	123.2	16.9	n/a
1997	2119	121.2	17.5	n/a
1998	2008	117.4	17.1	n/a
1999	1871	108.2	17.3	n/a
2000	1832	112.2	16.3	n/a
2001	1816	114.2	15.9	n/a
2002	1579	92.0	17.2	61
2003	1579	92.0	17.2	61
2004	1561	78.7	19.8	95.5
2005	1676	104.4	16.1	92.1
2006	1627	113.3	14.4	84.5
2007	1752	95.0	18.4	77
2008	1575	92.0	17.1	71.7
2009	1567	82.0	19.1	89.2
2010	1608	84.0	19.1	85.5
2011	1530	85.0	18.0	92.2
2012	1422	84.0	16.9	95.4
2013	1253	92.0	13.6	97.3
2014	1123	71.0	15.8	97.6
2015	997	62.0	16.0	99
2016	737	50.0	14.7	98.1
2017	553	39.9	13.8	99.5
2018	439	28.3	15.5	99.5
2019	312	28.0	11.1	95.8
2020	344	21.0	16.3	98.8
2021	401	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	481	28.2	17.0	98.5
2023	511	36.5	14.0	88.6

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 Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	2275	141.4	16.0	n/a
1990	2241	141.6	15.8	n/a
1991	2146	140.6	15.2	n/a
1992	2055	134.7	15.2	n/a
1993	2070	134.9	15.3	n/a
1994	2075	119.8	17.3	n/a
1995	2083	123.2	16.9	n/a
1996	2083	123.2	16.9	n/a
1997	2119	121.2	17.5	n/a
1998	2008	117.4	17.1	n/a
1999	1871	108.2	17.3	n/a
2000	1832	112.2	16.3	n/a
2001	1816	114.2	15.9	n/a
2002	1579	92.0	17.2	61
2003	1579	92.0	17.2	61
2004	1561	78.7	19.8	95.5
2005	1676	104.4	16.1	92.1
2006	1627	113.3	14.4	84.5
2007	1752	95.0	18.4	77
2008	1575	92.0	17.1	71.7
2009	1567	82.0	19.1	89.2
2010	1608	84.0	19.1	85.5
2011	1530	85.0	18.0	92.2
2012	1422	84.0	16.9	95.4
2013	1253	92.0	13.6	97.3
2014	1123	71.0	15.8	97.6
2015	997	62.0	16.0	99
2016	737	50.0	14.7	98.1
2017	553	39.9	13.8	99.5
2018	439	28.3	15.5	99.5
2019	312	28.0	11.1	95.8
2020	344	21.0	16.3	98.8
2021	401	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	481	28.2	17.0	98.5
2023	511	36.5	14.0	88.6

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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