Is Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy a good school?

Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy ranks in the bottom 3.6% of Illinois elementary schools.

How many students attend Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 535 students attended Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy?

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

What schools do graduates of Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy attend?

Students who attend Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy usually go on to attend: High : Chicago Vocational Career Academy High School High : South Shore International Col Prep High School

Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy

Summary:

Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Chicago, Illinois, with 535 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. Powell Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Illinois elementary schools over the past decade, with a current ranking of 1993 out of 2067 schools.

Powell Elementary has several key metrics that differentiate it from other schools. It has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 38% to 44.1% over the past 5 years, which is significantly higher than the district and state averages. The school's academic performance is also well below state and district averages across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in 2023-2024, only 7.2% of students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 30.5% for the district and 41.2% for the state. In math, only 3.7% of students were proficient, compared to 18.3% for the district and 28.4% for the state. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as special education students and low-socioeconomic status students.

Interestingly, the nearby schools, such as Parkside Elementary Community Academy, Bouchet Elementary Math & Science Academy, and Great Lakes Academy Charter Elementary School, generally outperform Powell Elementary across academic metrics, despite serving similar student populations. The high chronic absenteeism rates and the school's status as a Paideia Community Academy may be contributing factors to its low performance, and the significant equity concerns suggest that targeted interventions and support are needed to improve outcomes for its most vulnerable student populations.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

7511 S South Shore Dr
Chicago, IL 60649-4305

(773) 535-6650

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
1993^rd of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,178

Students who attend Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy usually attend:

High:	Chicago Vocational Career Academy High School
	South Shore International Col Prep High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.7

Number of students: 535

Racial breakdown:

African American:

96.1%

Hispanic:

2.6%

Two or more races:

0.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 94%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy ranks worse than 96.4% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 410^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 11.53. (See more...)

Compare Details Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy ranks worse than 97.3% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.6. (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 Powell Elementary Paideia 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 Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy is $19,178. 308 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy 1993^rd of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

SchoolDigger ranks Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy 1326^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle 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 Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	4.64	1894^th	2020	6.2%
2004	10.17	1825^th	2030	10.1%
2005	19.91	1731^st	2022	14.4%
2006	7.39	1941^st	2086	7.0%
2007	5.72	1973^rd	2095	5.8%
2008	12.06	1889^th	2092	9.7%
2009	20.77	1787^th	2120	15.7%
2010	25.82	1718^th	2139	19.7%
2011	31.40	1619^th	2147	24.6%
2012	34.75	1597^th	2166	26.3%
2013	58.82	972^nd	2167	55.1%
2014	57.50	932^nd	2093	55.5%
2015	39.63	1133^rd	2052	44.8%
2016	19.62	1707^th	2046	16.6%
2017	15.53	1809^th	2044	11.5%
2018	17.29	1747^th	2037	14.2%
2019	13.10	1928^th	2086	7.6%
2021	22.62	1485^th	1948	23.8%
2022	15.44	1846^th	2082	11.3%
2023	13.29	1934^th	2077	6.9%
2024	11.53	1993^rd	2067	3.6%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	23.94	637^th	763	16.5%
2022	20.95	1063^rd	1113	4.5%
2023	23.86	943^rd	1156	18.4%
2024	19.16	1093^rd	1195	8.5%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	27.56	1378^th	1765	21.9%
2019	19.84	1644^th	1816	9.5%
2021	39.80	861^st	1514	43.1%
2022	22.67	1489^th	1763	15.5%
2023	18.22	1679^th	1808	7.1%
2024	16.22	1708^th	1793	4.7%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	18.68	1650^th	1964	16.0%
2019	13.05	1872^nd	2019	7.3%
2021	13.10	1578^th	1680	6.1%
2022	15.79	1745^th	1970	11.4%
2023	12.36	1860^th	1957	5.0%
2024	13.43	1819^th	1942	6.3%

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

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	20.02	834^th	886	5.9%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	17.35	1729^th	1972	12.3%
2019	14.96	1834^th	2019	9.2%
2021	24.35	1282^nd	1707	24.9%
2022	16.51	1744^th	1977	11.8%
2023	16.34	1738^th	1984	12.4%
2024	11.00	1907^th	1959	2.7%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	41.32	348^th	698	50.1%
2019	35.44	452^nd	711	36.4%
2021	55.47	107^th	428	75.0%
2022	35.73	415^th	684	39.3%
2023	32.43	485^th	692	29.9%
2024	27.11	538^th	655	17.9%

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 Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	36.03	807^th	1185	31.9%
2004	20.38	961^st	1204	20.2%
2005	9.11	1075^th	1209	11.1%
2006	12.92	1114^th	1272	12.4%
2007	11.47	1148^th	1287	10.8%
2008	21.50	1074^th	1293	16.9%
2009	39.52	919^th	1318	30.3%
2010	44.63	863^rd	1327	35.0%
2011	53.74	729^th	1344	45.8%
2012	43.79	889^th	1365	34.9%
2013	46.13	759^th	1367	44.5%
2014	63.98	462^nd	1322	65.1%
2015	52.58	515^th	1302	60.4%
2016	25.23	998^th	1294	22.9%
2017	20.28	1054^th	1293	18.5%
2018	20.91	1037^th	1293	19.8%
2019	21.23	1090^th	1356	19.6%
2021	21.40	999^th	1241	19.5%
2022	20.68	1089^th	1369	20.5%
2023	18.72	1144^th	1367	16.3%
2024	10.60	1326^th	1363	2.7%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	24.74	551^st	602	8.5%
2023	19.48	759^th	805	5.7%
2024	16.81	787^th	802	1.9%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	31.92	820^th	1161	29.4%
2019	32.83	854^th	1217	29.8%
2021	35.85	644^th	1019	36.8%
2022	29.45	898^th	1221	26.5%
2023	24.64	997^th	1234	19.2%
2024	13.44	1175^th	1219	3.6%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	17.42	1047^th	1226	14.6%
2019	20.32	1040^th	1276	18.5%
2022	20.86	1035^th	1286	19.5%
2023	15.14	1140^th	1275	10.6%
2024	8.40	1241^st	1251	0.8%

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

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	23.29	603^rd	674	10.5%
2024	21.63	595^th	639	6.9%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	25.37	912^th	1223	25.4%
2019	23.65	995^th	1296	23.2%
2022	22.40	993^rd	1286	22.8%
2023	24.73	971^st	1292	24.8%
2024	13.80	1180^th	1264	6.6%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	49.01	201^st	511	60.7%
2019	50.88	212^th	565	62.5%
2021	51.18	127^th	385	67.0%
2022	46.98	230^th	573	59.9%
2023	43.52	280^th	569	50.8%
2024	23.16	474^th	548	13.5%

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 Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	1	710	1	3	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	715
1989	1	713	2	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	719
1990	1	731	n/a	2	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	734
1991	3	722	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	730
1992	1	732	2	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	738
1993	1	702	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	704
1994	2	702	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	706
1995	5	704	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	709
1996	5	704	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	709
1997	4	714	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	721
1998	2	661	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	666
1999	0	641	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	643
2000	4	676	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	680
2001	0	671	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	674
2002	3	580	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	584
2003	3	580	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	584
2004	1	502	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	508
2005	2	453	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	457
2006	1	514	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	6	526
2007	0	608	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	8	618
2008	1	583	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	10	596
2009	0	565	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	568
2010	0	560	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	564
2011	0	524	0	10	0	0	2	0	536
2012	0	509	1	8	0	0	2	0	520
2013	1	520	0	3	0	0	2	0	526
2014	0	544	1	9	0	0	0	0	554
2015	0	559	1	12	0	0	1	0	573
2016	0	534	1	9	0	0	0	0	544
2017	0	549	1	13	0	0	0	0	563
2018	2	568	1	14	0	0	1	0	586
2019	1	500	2	22	0	0	0	0	525
2020	0	493	1	11	0	0	1	0	506
2021	1	516	2	12	0	0	1	0	532
2022	0	516	1	11	0	0	4	0	532
2023	2	514	0	14	0	0	5	0	535

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 Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	715	29.0	24.6	n/a
1989	719	29.0	24.7	n/a
1990	734	29.0	25.3	n/a
1991	730	31.0	23.5	n/a
1992	738	33.0	22.3	n/a
1993	704	32.0	22.0	n/a
1994	706	31.0	22.8	n/a
1995	709	31.0	22.9	n/a
1996	709	31.0	22.9	n/a
1997	721	33.0	21.8	n/a
1998	666	32.0	20.8	n/a
1999	643	28.0	23.0	n/a
2000	680	29.0	23.4	n/a
2001	674	32.0	21.1	n/a
2002	584	27.0	21.6	88.5
2003	584	27.0	21.6	88.5
2004	508	21.8	23.3	95.5
2005	457	23.5	19.4	92.1
2006	526	25.5	20.6	97.3
2007	618	20.0	30.9	97.7
2008	596	28.0	21.3	99.3
2009	568	29.0	19.6	93
2010	564	28.0	20.1	98.6
2011	536	26.5	20.2	99.4
2012	520	25.0	20.8	97.5
2013	526	29.2	17.9	97
2014	554	28.0	19.7	94.6
2015	573	28.0	20.4	96.5
2016	544	26.0	20.9	95.4
2017	563	23.5	23.9	95.7
2018	586	25.8	22.6	96.6
2019	525	28.0	18.7	95
2020	506	29.5	17.1	91.1
2021	532	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	532	32.5	16.3	93.4
2023	535	34.0	15.7	94

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 Powell Elementary Paideia Community Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	715	29.0	24.6	n/a
1989	719	29.0	24.7	n/a
1990	734	29.0	25.3	n/a
1991	730	31.0	23.5	n/a
1992	738	33.0	22.3	n/a
1993	704	32.0	22.0	n/a
1994	706	31.0	22.8	n/a
1995	709	31.0	22.9	n/a
1996	709	31.0	22.9	n/a
1997	721	33.0	21.8	n/a
1998	666	32.0	20.8	n/a
1999	643	28.0	23.0	n/a
2000	680	29.0	23.4	n/a
2001	674	32.0	21.1	n/a
2002	584	27.0	21.6	88.5
2003	584	27.0	21.6	88.5
2004	508	21.8	23.3	95.5
2005	457	23.5	19.4	92.1
2006	526	25.5	20.6	97.3
2007	618	20.0	30.9	97.7
2008	596	28.0	21.3	99.3
2009	568	29.0	19.6	93
2010	564	28.0	20.1	98.6
2011	536	26.5	20.2	99.4
2012	520	25.0	20.8	97.5
2013	526	29.2	17.9	97
2014	554	28.0	19.7	94.6
2015	573	28.0	20.4	96.5
2016	544	26.0	20.9	95.4
2017	563	23.5	23.9	95.7
2018	586	25.8	22.6	96.6
2019	525	28.0	18.7	95
2020	506	29.5	17.1	91.1
2021	532	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	532	32.5	16.3	93.4
2023	535	34.0	15.7	94

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.

Immunization Rates