Is Shields Middle School a good school?

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

How many students attend Shields Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 376 students attended Shields Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Shields Middle School?

Students at Shields Middle School are 96% Hispanic, 3% African American.

What high school do graduates of Shields Middle School attend?

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

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:
1218^th of 1,363 Illinois Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,947

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: 11.3

Number of students: 376

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

96.3%

African American:

2.7%

White:

0.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 95.5%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Shields Middle School ranks worse than 89.4% of middle schools in Illinois. It also ranks 9^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 15.47. (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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (96.3%), African American (2.7%), two or more races (0.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 95.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Shields Middle School is 11.3, which is the 3^rd best among 11 middle schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

Compare Shields Middle School employs 33 full-time teachers.

Finance

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 1218^th 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 299 688^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Shields Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Shields Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2015	21.29	1054^th	1302	19.0%
2016	21.47	1070^th	1294	17.3%
2017	22.02	1027^th	1293	20.6%
2018	22.68	1010^th	1293	21.9%
2019	24.93	1024^th	1356	24.5%
2021	20.03	1021^st	1241	17.7%
2022	20.31	1095^th	1369	20.0%
2023	23.38	1038^th	1367	24.1%
2024	15.47	1218^th	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
2018	40.91	152^nd	285	46.7%
2019	38.52	229^th	339	32.4%
2021	51.56	77^th	277	72.2%
2022	37.74	286^th	454	37.0%
2023	37.17	296^th	480	38.3%
2024	26.61	433^rd	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
2018	26.45	475^th	602	21.1%
2019	30.19	575^th	792	27.4%
2022	28.67	627^th	781	19.7%
2023	25.38	637^th	805	20.9%
2024	27.55	595^th	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
2018	32.04	818^th	1161	29.5%
2019	34.29	823^rd	1217	32.4%
2021	30.59	725^th	1019	28.9%
2022	28.59	913^th	1221	25.2%
2023	35.31	799^th	1234	35.3%
2024	22.64	1013^th	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
2018	23.13	960^th	1226	21.7%
2019	24.66	982^nd	1276	23.0%
2021	19.30	858^th	1017	15.6%
2022	20.65	1040^th	1286	19.1%
2023	20.09	1032^nd	1275	19.1%
2024	14.88	1126^th	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	523^rd	674	22.4%
2024	22.82	585^th	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
2018	22.44	971^st	1223	20.6%
2019	25.82	961^st	1296	25.8%
2021	17.00	939^th	1048	10.4%
2022	20.95	1022^nd	1286	20.5%
2023	27.65	912^th	1292	29.4%
2024	16.87	1109^th	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
2018	24.95	487^th	590	17.5%
2019	27.30	506^th	639	20.8%
2021	24.78	430^th	517	16.8%
2022	22.42	564^th	662	14.8%
2023	27.95	503^rd	661	23.9%
2024	18.09	574^th	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.

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	Total
2013	9	4	0	741	5	1	0	760
2014	7	5	1	696	6	1	0	716
2015	9	4	2	683	6	2	0	706
2016	9	3	1	670	6	1	0	690
2017	8	10	2	625	3	1	0	649
2018	11	10	4	577	2	1	0	605
2019	10	11	1	567	0	0	2	591
2020	5	9	1	561	0	0	0	576
2021	6	6	1	580	0	0	1	594
2022	5	9	0	519	0	0	1	534
2023	1	6	0	436	0	0	0	443
2024	2	10	0	362	0	0	2	376

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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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
2024	376	33.0	11.3	95.5

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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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
2024	376	33.0	11.3	95.5

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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