Is Northwest Middle School a good school?

Northwest Middle School ranks in the bottom 10.2% of Illinois middle schools.

How many students attend Northwest Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 486 students attended Northwest Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Northwest Middle School?

Students at Northwest Middle School are 93% Hispanic, 3% African American, 2% White.

What high school do graduates of Northwest Middle School attend?

Students who attend Northwest Middle School usually go on to attend Foreman High School

Northwest Middle School

Summary:

Northwest Middle School is a public middle school located in Chicago, Illinois, serving 486 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299, which is ranked 688 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a rating of 1 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger.

Northwest Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Illinois middle schools over the past several years, with a ranking between 1088 and 1273 out of around 1300-1400 middle schools in the state. The school has received a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade, indicating it is among the lowest-performing schools in the state. Only 11.2% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 41.2% statewide and 30.5% in the Chicago Public Schools district. In Mathematics, the proficiency rate was just 8.2%, compared to 28.4% statewide and 18.3% in the district. The school also struggles with high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching as high as 46.6% in the 2023-2024 school year.

Nearby schools, such as ASPIRA Charter - Haugan Campus, LEARN Charter - Middle School, and Albany Park Multicultural Elementary, also perform below state and district averages in academic proficiency, but generally outperform Northwest Middle School. The school's high spending per student, at $15,403 in the 2022-2023 school year, does not appear to translate into improved academic outcomes, and its relatively low student-teacher ratio of 14:1 suggests that the school's challenges may not be primarily due to resource constraints or staffing levels.

Detail:

Public 6-8

5252 W Palmer St
Chicago, IL 60639-3047

(773) 534-3250

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
1224^th of 1,363 Illinois Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,046

Students who attend Northwest Middle School usually attend:

High:

Foreman High School

Feeder schools for Northwest Middle School:

Elementary:	Lloyd Elementary School
	Schubert Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.0

Number of students: 486

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

93.4%

African American:

3.3%

White:

2.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 86.2%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Northwest Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Northwest Middle School ranks worse than 89.8% of middle schools in Illinois. It also ranks 10^th among 11 ranked middle schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.21. (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 Northwest Middle School has the largest middle 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 Northwest Middle School is $18,046. 8 middle schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Northwest Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Northwest Middle School 1224^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Northwest Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

Hispanic 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 Northwest Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Northwest Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	9.23	1065^th	1185	10.1%
2004	8.61	1082^nd	1204	10.1%
2005	12.37	1039^th	1209	14.1%
2006	15.97	1084^th	1272	14.8%
2007	24.36	1037^th	1287	19.4%
2008	21.73	1070^th	1293	17.2%
2009	16.23	1140^th	1318	13.5%
2010	15.53	1160^th	1327	12.6%
2011	11.21	1242^nd	1344	7.6%
2012	12.74	1241^st	1365	9.1%
2013	17.99	1176^th	1367	14.0%
2014	21.81	1096^th	1322	17.1%
2015	19.67	1084^th	1302	16.7%
2016	14.90	1179^th	1294	8.9%
2017	17.71	1095^th	1293	15.3%
2018	14.15	1165^th	1293	9.9%
2019	17.66	1151^st	1356	15.1%
2021	16.73	1088^th	1241	12.3%
2022	16.12	1210^th	1369	11.6%
2023	13.31	1273^rd	1367	6.9%
2024	15.21	1224^th	1363	10.2%

See the entire list of Illinois Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Northwest Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	33.23	226^th	285	20.7%
2019	42.57	183^rd	339	46.0%
2021	30.73	242^nd	277	12.6%
2022	28.17	411^th	454	9.5%
2023	25.89	439^th	480	8.5%
2024	28.99	394^th	486	18.9%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Northwest Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	30.32	429^th	602	28.7%
2019	26.37	665^th	792	16.0%
2022	31.38	564^th	781	27.8%
2023	24.72	645^th	805	19.9%
2024	22.18	692^nd	802	13.7%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	21.39	986^th	1161	15.1%
2019	26.17	965^th	1217	20.7%
2021	25.73	815^th	1019	20.0%
2022	21.57	1066^th	1221	12.7%
2023	18.27	1126^th	1234	8.8%
2024	18.83	1077^th	1219	11.6%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Northwest Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	34.47	34^th	53	35.8%
2024	27.47	60^th	70	14.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Northwest Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	13.30	1119^th	1226	8.7%
2019	16.46	1097^th	1276	14.0%
2021	16.87	898^th	1017	11.7%
2022	17.58	1102^nd	1286	14.3%
2023	13.17	1187^th	1275	6.9%
2024	14.67	1132^nd	1251	9.5%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Northwest Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	28.40	516^th	674	23.4%
2024	25.58	547^th	639	14.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Northwest Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	15.74	1084^th	1223	11.4%
2019	19.98	1062^nd	1296	18.1%
2021	15.17	964^th	1048	8.0%
2022	16.08	1152^nd	1286	10.4%
2023	14.21	1184^th	1292	8.4%
2024	16.08	1128^th	1264	10.8%

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

Rank History for African American students at Northwest Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	13.50	565^th	565	0.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Northwest Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	15.49	563^rd	590	4.6%
2019	19.24	576^th	639	9.9%
2021	19.55	472^nd	517	8.7%
2022	16.90	627^th	662	5.3%
2023	14.42	640^th	661	3.2%
2024	17.95	576^th	643	10.4%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Hispanic 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 Northwest Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2000	76	22	8	608	1	n/a	n/a	0	715
2001	67	24	8	824	1	n/a	n/a	0	924
2002	51	49	9	1049	2	n/a	n/a	0	1160
2003	51	49	9	1049	2	n/a	n/a	0	1160
2004	39	47	6	1055	1	n/a	n/a	0	1148
2005	34	47	4	1075	1	n/a	n/a	0	1161
2006	32	51	2	1024	1	n/a	n/a	25	1135
2007	28	47	1	892	2	n/a	n/a	34	1004
2008	19	45	4	905	1	n/a	n/a	34	1008
2009	23	59	2	904	0	n/a	n/a	0	988
2010	19	45	4	836	0	n/a	n/a	0	904
2011	14	29	3	757	6	0	3	0	812
2012	14	22	3	708	5	0	2	0	754
2013	14	19	3	641	3	0	1	0	681
2014	13	22	2	621	1	0	2	0	661
2015	10	23	1	530	0	0	2	0	566
2016	14	26	0	525	1	0	1	0	567
2017	9	17	0	461	1	1	1	0	490
2018	11	14	0	459	3	1	0	0	488
2019	12	26	1	501	2	2	0	0	544
2020	14	17	3	513	1	4	1	0	553
2021	12	19	4	533	1	4	2	0	575
2022	4	17	4	468	2	2	1	0	498
2023	10	16	2	454	2	0	2	0	486

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 Northwest Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	715	32.0	22.3	n/a
2001	924	42.0	22.0	n/a
2002	1160	51.0	22.7	87.2
2003	1160	51.0	22.7	87.2
2004	1148	48.3	23.8	94.5
2005	1161	55.0	21.1	89.1
2006	1135	64.5	17.6	96.8
2007	1004	50.0	20.1	98.4
2008	1008	51.0	19.8	101.2
2009	988	51.0	19.4	93.6
2010	904	52.0	17.3	98.8
2011	812	45.0	18.0	98.5
2012	754	39.0	19.3	98.3
2013	681	51.8	13.1	97.8
2014	661	39.0	16.9	97.7
2015	566	34.0	16.6	98.2
2016	567	29.0	19.5	95.9
2017	490	24.3	20.1	97.1
2018	488	23.5	20.6	94.5
2019	544	31.5	17.2	95
2020	553	34.0	16.2	94.2
2021	575	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	498	35.0	14.2	88.8
2023	486	34.5	14.0	86.2

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 Northwest Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	715	32.0	22.3	n/a
2001	924	42.0	22.0	n/a
2002	1160	51.0	22.7	87.2
2003	1160	51.0	22.7	87.2
2004	1148	48.3	23.8	94.5
2005	1161	55.0	21.1	89.1
2006	1135	64.5	17.6	96.8
2007	1004	50.0	20.1	98.4
2008	1008	51.0	19.8	101.2
2009	988	51.0	19.4	93.6
2010	904	52.0	17.3	98.8
2011	812	45.0	18.0	98.5
2012	754	39.0	19.3	98.3
2013	681	51.8	13.1	97.8
2014	661	39.0	16.9	97.7
2015	566	34.0	16.6	98.2
2016	567	29.0	19.5	95.9
2017	490	24.3	20.1	97.1
2018	488	23.5	20.6	94.5
2019	544	31.5	17.2	95
2020	553	34.0	16.2	94.2
2021	575	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	498	35.0	14.2	88.8
2023	486	34.5	14.0	86.2

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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