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.
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