Shields Middle School

Summary:

Shields Middle School is a public middle school in Chicago, Illinois, serving 443 students in grades 5-8. Despite being part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299, which is ranked 688 out of 813 districts in Illinois, Shields Middle School has consistently been ranked in the bottom quarter of Illinois middle schools, maintaining a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Shields Middle School faces significant challenges, with high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 38.1% to 41.4%, well above the state average. Academically, the school's performance is well below state and district averages, with only 17.9% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and just 6.7% proficient in Mathematics. This underperformance extends across all student subgroups, including female, male, Hispanic, English Language Learner, Special Education, and low socioeconomic status students. Despite relatively high spending per student, ranging from $12,679 to $17,056, and a low student-teacher ratio of 13.4 to 14.6, the school's academic outcomes remain very poor.

Compared to nearby schools, such as LEARN Charter - Middle School, Madero Middle School, Gary Elementary School, Evergreen Academy Elementary School, and Hernandez Middle School, Shields Middle School performs significantly worse, with lower academic proficiency and higher chronic absenteeism. Addressing the root causes of Shields Middle School's struggles, which go beyond just funding and class size, will require a comprehensive approach to improve student outcomes.


Detail:

Public 5-8

 2611 W 48th St
       Chicago, IL  60632-1402


(773) 535-7115

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
1218th of 1,363 Illinois Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $19,947 Help


Students who attend Shields Middle School usually attend:

High:    Thomas Kelly College Preparatory

Feeder schools for Shields Middle School:

Elementary:    Shields Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.4 Help
Number of students:  443

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
98.4%
African American:
1.4%
White:
0.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  96.6% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Shields Middle School ranks worse than 89.4% of middle schools in Illinois. It also ranks 9th among 11 ranked middle schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.47. (See more...)
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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
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Compare Details Shields Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Chicago Public Schools District 299.  (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Shields Middle School is $19,947. 6 middle schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299 spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Shields Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Shields Middle School 1218th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Shields 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:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:


Chicago Public Schools District 299:

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


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Rank History for Shields Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Shields Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2015 21.29 1054th 1302 19.0%
2016 21.47 1070th 1294 17.3%
2017 22.02 1027th 1293 20.6%
2018 22.68 1010th 1293 21.9%
2019 24.93 1024th 1356 24.5%
2021 20.03 1021st 1241 17.7%
2022 20.31 1095th 1369 20.0%
2023 23.38 1038th 1367 24.1%
2024 15.47 1218th 1363 10.6%
See the entire list of Illinois Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Shields Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.91 152nd 285 46.7%
2019 38.52 229th 339 32.4%
2021 51.56 77th 277 72.2%
2022 37.74 286th 454 37.0%
2023 37.17 296th 480 38.3%
2024 26.61 433rd 486 10.9%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Shields Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.45 475th 602 21.1%
2019 30.19 575th 792 27.4%
2022 28.67 627th 781 19.7%
2023 25.38 637th 805 20.9%
2024 27.55 595th 802 25.8%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.04 818th 1161 29.5%
2019 34.29 823rd 1217 32.4%
2021 30.59 725th 1019 28.9%
2022 28.59 913th 1221 25.2%
2023 35.31 799th 1234 35.3%
2024 22.64 1013th 1219 16.9%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Shields Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.13 960th 1226 21.7%
2019 24.66 982nd 1276 23.0%
2021 19.30 858th 1017 15.6%
2022 20.65 1040th 1286 19.1%
2023 20.09 1032nd 1275 19.1%
2024 14.88 1126th 1251 10.0%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Shields Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 27.42 523rd 674 22.4%
2024 22.82 585th 639 8.5%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Shields Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 22.44 971st 1223 20.6%
2019 25.82 961st 1296 25.8%
2021 17.00 939th 1048 10.4%
2022 20.95 1022nd 1286 20.5%
2023 27.65 912th 1292 29.4%
2024 16.87 1109th 1264 12.3%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Shields Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.95 487th 590 17.5%
2019 27.30 506th 639 20.8%
2021 24.78 430th 517 16.8%
2022 22.42 564th 662 14.8%
2023 27.95 503rd 661 23.9%
2024 18.09 574th 643 10.7%
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.

Shields Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 







Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for Shields Middle School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2013 9 4 0 741 5 1 0 0 760
2014 7 5 1 696 6 1 0 0 716
2015 9 4 2 683 6 2 0 0 706
2016 9 3 1 670 6 1 0 0 690
2017 8 10 2 625 3 1 0 0 649
2018 11 10 4 577 2 1 0 0 605
2019 10 11 1 567 0 0 2 0 591
2020 5 9 1 561 0 0 0 0 576
2021 6 6 1 580 0 0 1 0 594
2022 5 9 0 519 0 0 1 0 534
2023 1 6 0 436 0 0 0 0 443

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 Shields Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2013 760 2.4 311.4 98.2
2014 716 40.0 17.9 98.3
2015 706 38.0 18.5 98.9
2016 690 39.0 17.6 98
2017 649 34.2 18.9 97.4
2018 605 33.6 18.0 97.9
2019 591 37.0 15.9 95.3
2020 576 35.5 16.2 97.4
2021 594 n/a n/a n/a
2022 534 36.5 14.6 95.7
2023 443 33.0 13.4 96.6

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 Shields Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2013 760 2.4 311.4 98.2
2014 716 40.0 17.9 98.3
2015 706 38.0 18.5 98.9
2016 690 39.0 17.6 98
2017 649 34.2 18.9 97.4
2018 605 33.6 18.0 97.9
2019 591 37.0 15.9 95.3
2020 576 35.5 16.2 97.4
2021 594 n/a n/a n/a
2022 534 36.5 14.6 95.7
2023 443 33.0 13.4 96.6

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.

Immunization Rates

Shields Middle School

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Compare
YearPolioMeaslesMumpsRubellaHepatitis BVaricellaDTPMeningococcal
201599.7%99.9%99.9%99.9%72.5%99.6%99.9%
201699.7%100.0%100.0%100.0%74.2%99.7%25.5%26.4%
201799.4%99.9%99.9%99.9%79.7%98.9%99.7%50.8%
201899.5%99.5%99.3%99.3%77.0%98.7%100.0%69.3%
201999.8%99.5%99.5%99.5%71.1%98.3%99.5%65.1%
202494.0%97.8%97.8%97.8%94.0%94.6%95.4%68.8%

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Shields Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,004 (8.7%) $10,528 (91.3%) $11,532
2020 $1,208 (9.5%) $11,471 (90.5%) $12,679
2021 $2,578 (18.8%) $11,103 (81.2%) $13,681
2022 $2,578 (18.8%) $11,103 (81.2%) $13,681
2023 $3,398 (19.9%) $13,658 (80.1%) $17,056
2024 $3,676 (18.4%) $16,270 (81.6%) $19,946

Data source: Illinois Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Shields Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 1024th of 1356 Middle schoolsRanks 1038th of 1367 Middle schools
 0.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
5th Grade English Language Arts (Shields Middle School)15.15.1
 10%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Chicago Public Schools District 299)24.124.1
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)37.935.2
 2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Shields Middle School)111.3
 9.7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Chicago Public Schools District 299)20.715
 5.7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)29.825.6
 4.2%
5th Grade Science (Shields Middle School)44.937.3
 7.6%
   5th Grade Science (Chicago Public Schools District 299)40.739.2
 1.5%
   5th Grade Science (Illinois)54.452.4
 2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Shields Middle School)12.317.5
 5.2%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Chicago Public Schools District 299)22.824.7
 1.9%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)3534.2
 0.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Shields Middle School)5.86.1
 0.3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Chicago Public Schools District 299)17.714.6
 3.1%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)25.323.4
 1.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Shields Middle School)11.47.4
 4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Chicago Public Schools District 299)28.229.7
 1.5%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)41.237.9
 3.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Shields Middle School)12.111.5
 0.6%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Chicago Public Schools District 299)21.818.7
 3.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)29.926.9
 3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Shields Middle School)14.519.6
 5.1%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Chicago Public Schools District 299)26.231.3
 5.1%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)39.640.5
 0.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Shields Middle School)10.96.4
 4.5%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Chicago Public Schools District 299)24.319.5
 4.8%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)32.625.7
 6.9%
8th Grade Science (Shields Middle School)59.441.7
 17.7%
   8th Grade Science (Chicago Public Schools District 299)40.340.3
   8th Grade Science (Illinois)5552
 3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students591443
 25%
African American116
 45.5%
American Indian00
Asian10
 100%
Hispanic567436
 23.1%
Pacific Islander00
White101
 90%
Two or More Races20
 100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients95.3%96.6%
 1.4%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Shields Middle School

Students at Shields Middle School are 98% Hispanic, 1% African American.

Shields Middle School ranks in the bottom 10.6% of Illinois middle schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 443 students attended Shields Middle School.

Students who attend Shields Middle School usually go on to attend Thomas Kelly College Preparatory


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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