Is Harlan Community Academy High School a good school?

Harlan Community Academy High School ranks in the bottom 2.4% of Illinois high schools.

How many students attend Harlan Community Academy High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 314 students attended Harlan Community Academy High School.

What is the racial makeup of Harlan Community Academy High School?

Students at Harlan Community Academy High School are 97% African American, 2% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Harlan Community Academy High School?

Harlan Community Academy High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Bennett Elementary School Elementary : Dixon Elementary School Elementary : Evers Elementary School Elementary : Gillespie Elementary School Elementary : Jackson M Elementary School Elementary : Kipling Elementary School Elementary : Neil Elementary School Elementary : Pirie Elementary Fine Arts & Academic C Elementary : Ryder Elementary Math & Sci Special School Elementary : Schmid Elementary School Elementary : Wacker Elementary School Elementary : Washington H Elementary School

Harlan Community Academy High School

Summary:

Harlan Community Academy High School is a public high school in Chicago, Illinois, serving grades 9-12 and part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Illinois high schools over the past decade, with a current ranking of 680 out of 697 high schools in the state.

Harlan Community Academy High School faces significant challenges, including a low 4-year graduation rate of 64.1%, more than double the state average dropout rate of 11.0%, and an extremely high chronic absenteeism rate of 80.4%. The school's academic performance is also very low, with 0% of students proficient or better in both SAT Mathematics and SAT English Language Arts. Compared to nearby schools like YCCS-Olive Harvey Mid College High School, Brooks College Prep Academy High School, and Noble St Charter-Hansberry Prep Slvr, Harlan Community Academy High School performs significantly worse across various metrics.

Despite relatively high per-student spending of $25,499 in the 2022-2023 school year, the school has not been able to improve its academic outcomes. The school's performance is particularly low for African American students, special education students, and low-socioeconomic status students, ranking in the bottom 10-20% of Illinois high schools for these subgroups. Addressing the root causes of the school's challenges, such as improving attendance, providing targeted interventions, and strengthening the overall educational environment, will be crucial for improving the school's performance and better serving its students.

Detail:

Public 9-12

9652 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60628-1415

(773) 535-5400

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
680^th of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $34,817

Feeder schools for Harlan Community Academy High School:

Elementary:	Bennett Elementary School
	Dixon Elementary School
	Evers Elementary School
	Gillespie Elementary School
	More...
	Jackson M Elementary School
	Kipling Elementary School
	Neil Elementary School
	Pirie Elementary Fine Arts & Academic C
	Ryder Elementary Math & Sci Special School
	Schmid Elementary School
	Wacker Elementary School
	Washington H Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.1

Number of students: 314

Racial breakdown:

African American:

96.8%

Hispanic:

1.9%

Two or more races:

1.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 92%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Harlan Community Academy High School is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2012 the calculated Average Standard Score was 84.96. (See more...)

Compare Details Harlan Community Academy High School ranks worse than 97.6% of high schools in Illinois. It also ranks 129^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 9.68. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Harlan Community Academy High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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

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 Harlan Community 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 Harlan Community Academy High School is $34,817, which is the 14^th highest among 145 high schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Harlan Community Academy High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Harlan Community Academy High School 680^th of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See Harlan Community Academy High School in the ranking list.)

Chicago Public Schools District 299:

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

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Harlan Community Academy High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	91.83	47^th	1185	96.0%
2004	89.86	60^th	1204	95.0%
2005	92.60	19^th	1209	98.4%
2006	92.39	11^th	1272	99.1%
2007	93.41	1^st	1287	99.9%
2008	91.70	11^th	1293	99.1%
2009	88.54	35^th	1318	97.3%
2010	88.92	30^th	1327	97.7%
2011	87.53	52^nd	1344	96.1%
2012	84.96	106^th	1365	92.2%

See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

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

Rank History for Harlan Community Academy High School

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Rank History for all high school students at Harlan Community Academy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	0.73	574^th	586	2.0%
2004	1.90	562^nd	592	5.1%
2005	0.85	575^th	590	2.5%
2006	1.08	583^rd	596	2.2%
2007	2.13	588^th	612	3.9%
2008	1.69	601^st	624	3.7%
2009	1.51	618^th	632	2.2%
2010	1.82	624^th	643	3.0%
2011	2.36	633^rd	655	3.4%
2012	2.43	635^th	665	4.5%
2013	3.59	630^th	670	6.0%
2014	2.90	636^th	670	5.1%
2015	10.10	604^th	614	1.6%
2016	9.38	629^th	643	2.2%
2017	5.77	616^th	642	4.0%
2018	6.04	633^rd	647	2.2%
2019	7.27	671^st	701	4.3%
2021	12.18	618^th	688	10.2%
2022	7.96	672^nd	699	3.9%
2023	8.42	671^st	699	4.0%
2024	9.68	680^th	697	2.4%

See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Special Education students at Harlan Community 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 high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Harlan Community Academy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	9.41	572^nd	585	2.2%
2019	11.71	605^th	639	5.3%
2021	20.51	517^th	611	15.4%
2022	11.47	603^rd	626	3.7%
2023	11.71	612^th	644	5.0%
2024	12.16	609^th	639	4.7%

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

Rank History for high school Homeless students at Harlan Community Academy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	43.89	41^st	91	54.9%

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

Rank History for high school Female students at Harlan Community Academy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	5.85	607^th	620	2.1%
2019	7.26	634^th	665	4.7%
2021	15.26	543^rd	639	15.0%
2022	7.89	631^st	658	4.1%
2023	8.64	631^st	656	3.8%
2024	10.08	632^nd	664	4.8%

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

Rank History for high school Disabled students at Harlan Community 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 high school Male students at Harlan Community Academy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	6.84	593^rd	619	4.2%
2019	7.92	643^rd	675	4.7%
2021	10.58	609^th	653	6.7%
2022	8.56	640^th	664	3.6%
2023	8.57	643^rd	668	3.7%
2024	10.02	632^nd	668	5.4%

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

Rank History for high school African American students at Harlan Community Academy High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	21.43	228^th	253	9.9%
2019	22.19	264^th	299	11.7%
2021	29.02	199^th	281	29.2%
2022	23.05	259^th	294	11.9%
2023	21.66	270^th	301	10.3%
2024	22.06	274^th	299	8.4%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a student on FaceBook
Thursday, April 23, 2009

Before I've attended this school I was terrified because of the rumors I use to hear. Yet, when I first came things were so wonderful. The staff and teachers are wonderful and because of them I stay on top of my game. I was planning on attending Julian high school. I am so blessed to be at this school. My mom wants to transfer me but I pray to god everyday to not let that happen. My favorite teacher would have to be ms. tammy Butler. I try very hard and even though I am a freshman I research colleges on my own time. I wake up everyday at five in the morning, get on the bus at exactly 6:20 a.m. Then I go to school at exactly 7:20. When I first step in the room my emo personality shuts off and my other side turns on. I go through the metal detector and I rather see Jordan( a security guard) or bradley. Crocket is my favorite and so is jordan. I automatically become serious at school because I was taught that it is not a joke. Ms. Ellis my dean is very outspoken. R.O.T.C was always my favorite program since I was 8 years old. Str. Jefferies is a very hard nut to crack lol. Mr.Pietruszka is a very good teacher to. I learn to keep my distance from certain people. I will always remember this school as my one and only. I've never loved school as I do today. I pray to God that I stay here for the next four years. So far I've been in the play, J.R.O.T.C, journalism club, debate team, grub club, storytelling, and student government. My family roots are linked to this school. My great aunties and uncles attended there. Harlan community academy is engraved in my heart no matter what anyone says. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Harlan Community 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	1219	n/a	3	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	1222
1990	n/a	1091	n/a	n/a	1	n/a	n/a	0	1092
1991	1	989	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	992
1992	0	1007	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1007
1993	0	937	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	939
1994	0	954	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	954
1995	0	885	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	885
1996	0	885	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	885
1997	0	828	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	830
1998	0	801	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	801
1999	0	749	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	749
2000	0	744	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	744
2001	0	690	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	690
2002	0	846	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	847
2003	0	846	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	847
2004	0	944	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	946
2005	2	1125	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	1128
2006	0	1381	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1381
2007	3	1373	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	8	1388
2008	2	1402	0	3	1	n/a	n/a	7	1415
2009	2	1518	0	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	1525
2010	1	1327	0	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	1334
2011	0	1348	0	8	0	0	5	0	1361
2012	1	1173	0	8	1	1	6	0	1190
2013	2	1119	0	5	0	0	7	0	1133
2014	0	846	1	4	1	0	6	0	858
2015	0	731	1	6	1	0	5	0	744
2016	0	592	0	4	0	0	2	0	598
2017	1	470	0	2	0	0	1	0	474
2018	1	379	0	1	0	0	1	0	382
2019	1	320	0	6	0	0	1	0	328
2020	0	294	0	5	0	0	1	0	300
2021	0	473	0	4	0	0	5	0	482
2022	0	455	0	9	0	0	6	0	470
2023	0	304	0	6	0	0	4	0	314

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 Harlan Community Academy High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1222	78.2	15.6	n/a
1990	1092	67.2	16.2	n/a
1991	992	64.2	15.4	n/a
1992	1007	59.2	17.0	n/a
1993	939	57.0	16.5	n/a
1994	954	49.8	19.2	n/a
1995	885	50.6	17.5	n/a
1996	885	50.6	17.5	n/a
1997	830	51.6	16.1	n/a
1998	801	45.2	17.7	n/a
1999	749	44.4	16.9	n/a
2000	744	42.2	17.6	n/a
2001	690	45.2	15.3	n/a
2002	847	58.0	14.6	78.7
2003	847	58.0	14.6	78.7
2004	946	64.8	14.6	70.4
2005	1128	85.9	13.1	68.5
2006	1381	101.6	13.6	69.4
2007	1388	71.0	19.5	68.8
2008	1415	77.0	18.4	89.3
2009	1525	88.0	17.3	73.9
2010	1334	78.0	17.1	96.6
2011	1361	80.0	17.0	86.3
2012	1190	80.0	14.8	91.8
2013	1133	93.8	12.0	80.2
2014	858	77.0	11.1	91.8
2015	744	56.0	13.2	94.8
2016	598	39.0	15.3	93.6
2017	474	28.6	16.5	94.1
2018	382	25.3	15.0	96.6
2019	328	23.0	14.2	94.8
2020	300	21.0	14.2	96
2021	482	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	470	26.5	17.7	86.4
2023	314	19.5	16.1	92

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 Harlan Community Academy High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1222	78.2	15.6	n/a
1990	1092	67.2	16.2	n/a
1991	992	64.2	15.4	n/a
1992	1007	59.2	17.0	n/a
1993	939	57.0	16.5	n/a
1994	954	49.8	19.2	n/a
1995	885	50.6	17.5	n/a
1996	885	50.6	17.5	n/a
1997	830	51.6	16.1	n/a
1998	801	45.2	17.7	n/a
1999	749	44.4	16.9	n/a
2000	744	42.2	17.6	n/a
2001	690	45.2	15.3	n/a
2002	847	58.0	14.6	78.7
2003	847	58.0	14.6	78.7
2004	946	64.8	14.6	70.4
2005	1128	85.9	13.1	68.5
2006	1381	101.6	13.6	69.4
2007	1388	71.0	19.5	68.8
2008	1415	77.0	18.4	89.3
2009	1525	88.0	17.3	73.9
2010	1334	78.0	17.1	96.6
2011	1361	80.0	17.0	86.3
2012	1190	80.0	14.8	91.8
2013	1133	93.8	12.0	80.2
2014	858	77.0	11.1	91.8
2015	744	56.0	13.2	94.8
2016	598	39.0	15.3	93.6
2017	474	28.6	16.5	94.1
2018	382	25.3	15.0	96.6
2019	328	23.0	14.2	94.8
2020	300	21.0	14.2	96
2021	482	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	470	26.5	17.7	86.4
2023	314	19.5	16.1	92

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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