Is Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy a good school?

Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy ranks in the bottom 3.0% of Illinois elementary schools.

How many students attend Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 330 students attended Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy?

Students at Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy are 96% African American, 3% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy attend?

Students who attend Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy usually go on to attend: High : Fenger Academy High School

Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy

Summary:

Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Chicago, Illinois, with 330 students. 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. Metcalfe Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 5-10% of Illinois elementary schools over the past decade, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Metcalfe Elementary faces significant challenges, including extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 42.7% to 63.1% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the district and state averages. Academically, the school performs poorly, with only 12.6% of all Metcalfe students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 30.5% for the district and 41.2% for the state. Math proficiency is even lower, with only 6.3% of Metcalfe students meeting or exceeding standards, compared to 18.3% for the district and 28.4% for the state. Additionally, Metcalfe Elementary has an extremely high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 95.76% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023.

While Metcalfe Elementary spends a relatively high amount per student, at $17,376 in 2022-2023, and has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 14.6, these factors do not appear to be translating into improved student outcomes. The nearby schools, such as Owens Community Academy Elementary School and Colemon J Elementary Academy, while also facing challenges, generally outperform Metcalfe Elementary on academic measures, suggesting that factors beyond just funding and staffing may be contributing to the school's poor performance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

12339 S Normal Ave
Chicago, IL 60628-6413

(773) 535-5590

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
2005^th of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $22,134

Students who attend Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy usually attend:

High:

Fenger Academy High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.6

Number of students: 330

Racial breakdown:

African American:

96.1%

Hispanic:

3.0%

Two or more races:

0.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 95.8%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy ranks worse than 97% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 418^th among 452 ranked elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.24. (See more...)

Compare Details Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy ranks worse than 91% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.32. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a 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 Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy has the largest elementary 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 Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy is $22,134, which is the 184^th highest among 452 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy 2005^th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

SchoolDigger ranks Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy 1241^st of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female 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 Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	21.27	1656^th	2020	18.0%
2004	12.35	1795^th	2030	11.6%
2005	12.95	1802^nd	2022	10.9%
2006	11.20	1897^th	2086	9.1%
2007	13.64	1881^st	2095	10.2%
2008	24.12	1711^th	2092	18.2%
2009	21.08	1781^st	2120	16.0%
2010	19.19	1830^th	2139	14.4%
2011	21.40	1808^th	2147	15.8%
2012	11.06	2013^th	2166	7.1%
2013	11.32	1997^th	2167	7.8%
2014	8.41	1994^th	2093	4.7%
2015	10.50	1987^th	2052	3.2%
2016	9.46	1985^th	2046	3.0%
2017	9.17	1986^th	2044	2.8%
2018	8.88	1993^rd	2037	2.2%
2019	10.60	1996^th	2086	4.3%
2022	10.76	2047^th	2082	1.7%
2023	12.10	1964^th	2077	5.4%
2024	11.24	2005^th	2067	3.0%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	13.01	1718^th	1765	2.7%
2019	16.49	1704^th	1816	6.2%
2022	13.81	1742^nd	1763	1.2%
2023	16.61	1704^th	1808	5.8%
2024	14.86	1734^th	1793	3.3%

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

Rank History for elementary school Homeless students at Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	41.24	18^th	36	50.0%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	8.78	1922^nd	1964	2.1%
2019	10.54	1934^th	2019	4.2%
2022	10.06	1956^th	1970	0.7%
2023	11.14	1899^th	1957	3.0%
2024	11.67	1873^rd	1942	3.6%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	11.51	1885^th	1972	4.4%
2019	13.01	1887^th	2019	6.5%
2022	13.69	1854^th	1977	6.2%
2023	16.01	1751^st	1984	11.7%
2024	12.85	1852^nd	1959	5.5%

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

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	24.30	611^th	698	12.5%
2019	27.17	579^th	711	18.6%
2022	25.37	610^th	684	10.8%
2023	28.75	540^th	692	22.0%
2024	26.70	542^nd	655	17.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for African American Students!

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

Rank History for Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	17.16	976^th	1185	17.6%
2004	28.38	907^th	1204	24.7%
2005	25.26	929^th	1209	23.2%
2006	20.39	1054^th	1272	17.1%
2007	23.37	1047^th	1287	18.6%
2008	34.85	939^th	1293	27.4%
2009	40.36	908^th	1318	31.1%
2010	39.42	932^nd	1327	29.8%
2011	34.96	986^th	1344	26.6%
2012	18.67	1183^rd	1365	13.3%
2013	23.04	1110^th	1367	18.8%
2014	21.53	1098^th	1322	16.9%
2015	15.95	1148^th	1302	11.8%
2016	19.04	1106^th	1294	14.5%
2017	11.02	1232^nd	1293	4.7%
2018	8.99	1264^th	1293	2.2%
2019	9.42	1311^th	1356	3.3%
2022	11.49	1336^th	1369	2.4%
2023	9.66	1341^st	1367	1.9%
2024	14.32	1241^st	1363	9.0%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	11.88	1133^rd	1161	2.4%
2019	12.89	1164^th	1217	4.4%
2022	13.59	1204^th	1221	1.4%
2023	11.54	1218^th	1234	1.3%
2024	20.65	1048^th	1219	14.0%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	9.83	1173^rd	1226	4.3%
2019	8.17	1250^th	1276	2.0%
2022	11.40	1246^th	1286	3.1%
2023	9.51	1248^th	1275	2.1%
2024	12.44	1165^th	1251	6.9%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	10.22	1204^th	1223	1.6%
2019	11.81	1231^st	1296	5.0%
2022	13.16	1223^rd	1286	4.9%
2023	10.40	1270^th	1292	1.7%
2024	20.28	1026^th	1264	18.8%

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

Rank History for middle school African American students at Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	21.33	475^th	511	7.0%
2019	23.25	497^th	565	12.0%
2022	24.25	521^st	573	9.1%
2023	21.24	526^th	569	7.6%
2024	28.36	412^th	548	24.8%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary 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 Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	86	846	5	113	1	n/a	n/a	0	1051
1989	106	765	2	98	3	n/a	n/a	0	974
1990	84	813	2	82	3	n/a	n/a	0	984
1991	66	780	1	70	3	n/a	n/a	0	920
1992	31	891	1	54	0	n/a	n/a	0	977
1993	24	917	0	28	2	n/a	n/a	0	971
1994	3	1025	1	16	1	n/a	n/a	0	1046
1995	0	983	0	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	993
1996	0	983	0	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	993
1997	0	992	0	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	999
1998	0	1053	0	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	1066
1999	1	980	0	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	991
2000	0	1009	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	1012
2001	1	984	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	989
2002	1	917	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	921
2003	1	917	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	921
2004	0	913	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	915
2005	0	894	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	898
2006	0	794	1	2	1	n/a	n/a	11	809
2007	0	762	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	14	778
2008	2	690	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	5	700
2009	3	658	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	662
2010	2	689	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	692
2011	1	585	0	0	0	1	0	0	587
2012	1	484	0	0	0	0	1	0	486
2013	0	434	0	0	0	0	0	0	434
2014	1	514	0	3	0	1	3	0	522
2015	0	482	0	0	0	1	1	0	484
2016	0	438	0	1	0	1	0	0	440
2017	0	405	0	1	0	1	0	0	407
2018	0	369	0	8	0	0	0	0	377
2019	0	341	0	14	0	0	0	0	355
2020	0	328	0	7	0	0	1	0	336
2021	0	303	0	12	0	0	0	0	315
2022	1	333	0	9	0	0	0	0	343
2023	1	317	0	10	0	0	2	0	330

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 Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1051	45.0	23.3	n/a
1989	974	44.0	22.1	n/a
1990	984	45.0	21.8	n/a
1991	920	45.0	20.4	n/a
1992	977	47.5	20.5	n/a
1993	971	47.0	20.7	n/a
1994	1046	47.0	22.3	n/a
1995	993	53.0	18.7	n/a
1996	993	53.0	18.7	n/a
1997	999	55.0	18.2	n/a
1998	1066	57.0	18.7	n/a
1999	991	53.0	18.7	n/a
2000	1012	57.0	17.8	n/a
2001	989	54.0	18.3	n/a
2002	921	50.0	18.4	94.5
2003	921	50.0	18.4	94.5
2004	915	45.0	20.3	93.1
2005	898	53.0	16.9	89.9
2006	809	56.0	14.4	97.5
2007	778	36.0	21.6	95.9
2008	700	33.0	21.2	99.4
2009	662	36.0	18.4	99.1
2010	692	34.0	20.3	99.6
2011	587	28.0	20.9	98.1
2012	486	25.0	19.4	99.4
2013	434	27.4	15.8	80.2
2014	522	28.0	18.6	83.9
2015	484	26.0	18.6	97.9
2016	440	21.0	20.9	97.5
2017	407	17.8	22.8	99.3
2018	377	18.8	19.9	99.2
2019	355	17.0	20.8	97.7
2020	336	18.0	18.6	95.8
2021	315	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	343	21.5	15.9	95.3
2023	330	22.5	14.6	95.8

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 Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1051	45.0	23.3	n/a
1989	974	44.0	22.1	n/a
1990	984	45.0	21.8	n/a
1991	920	45.0	20.4	n/a
1992	977	47.5	20.5	n/a
1993	971	47.0	20.7	n/a
1994	1046	47.0	22.3	n/a
1995	993	53.0	18.7	n/a
1996	993	53.0	18.7	n/a
1997	999	55.0	18.2	n/a
1998	1066	57.0	18.7	n/a
1999	991	53.0	18.7	n/a
2000	1012	57.0	17.8	n/a
2001	989	54.0	18.3	n/a
2002	921	50.0	18.4	94.5
2003	921	50.0	18.4	94.5
2004	915	45.0	20.3	93.1
2005	898	53.0	16.9	89.9
2006	809	56.0	14.4	97.5
2007	778	36.0	21.6	95.9
2008	700	33.0	21.2	99.4
2009	662	36.0	18.4	99.1
2010	692	34.0	20.3	99.6
2011	587	28.0	20.9	98.1
2012	486	25.0	19.4	99.4
2013	434	27.4	15.8	80.2
2014	522	28.0	18.6	83.9
2015	484	26.0	18.6	97.9
2016	440	21.0	20.9	97.5
2017	407	17.8	22.8	99.3
2018	377	18.8	19.9	99.2
2019	355	17.0	20.8	97.7
2020	336	18.0	18.6	95.8
2021	315	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	343	21.5	15.9	95.3
2023	330	22.5	14.6	95.8

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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