Is Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary a good school?

Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary ranks 554 th of 2067 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 564 students attended Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary?

Students at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary are 43% Asian, 21% White, 20% Hispanic, 12% African American, 5% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Still Middle School High : Metea Valley High School

Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

Summary:

Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary is a public elementary school in Naperville, Illinois, serving students from kindergarten to 5th grade as part of the Indian Prairie CUSD 204 district.

The school has consistently ranked in the top 25% of Illinois elementary schools, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Its academic performance is mixed, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics higher than the state average but lower than the district average. Compared to nearby schools, Cowlishaw outperforms some but lags behind higher-performing schools like Robert Clow Elementary, Brookdale Elementary, and Arlene Welch Elementary. The school's performance varies across different student subgroups, with strong results for Hispanic and English Language Learner students but weaker performance for Asian, African American, and White students, as well as students with disabilities.

One concerning trend at Cowlishaw is the sharp rise in chronic absenteeism, which has increased from 2.5% in 2019-2020 to 16.6% in 2023-2024, higher than the state average. However, the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio and increased per-student spending suggest efficient resource allocation by the Indian Prairie CUSD 204 district. Overall, Cowlishaw is a consistently high-performing school, but it faces challenges in maintaining excellence across all student subgroups and addressing the rising chronic absenteeism rates.

Detail:

Public K-5

1212 Sanctuary Ln
Naperville, IL 60540-1902

(630) 428-6100

District: Indian Prairie CUSD 204

SchoolDigger Rank:
554^th of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,927

Students who attend Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Still Middle School
High:	Metea Valley High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.9

Number of students: 564

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

42.7%

White:

20.7%

Hispanic:

19.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 28.5%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary ranks better than 73.2% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 18^th among 21 ranked elementary schools in the Indian Prairie CUSD 204 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 69.75. (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 Student population at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (42.7%), White (20.7%), Hispanic (19.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 28.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary is 12.9, which is the 7^th best among 21 elementary schools in the Indian Prairie CUSD 204 School District. (See more...)

Compare Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary employs 43.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary is $15,927, which is the 10^th highest among 21 elementary schools in the Indian Prairie CUSD 204 School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary 554^th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary 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:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Indian Prairie CUSD 204:

SchoolDigger ranks Indian Prairie CUSD 204 132^nd of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	84.34	201^st	2020	90.0%
2004	73.74	569^th	2030	72.0%
2005	65.31	843^rd	2022	58.3%
2006	67.71	792^nd	2086	62.0%
2007	80.68	271^st	2095	87.1%
2008	82.73	227^th	2092	89.1%
2009	76.71	482^nd	2120	77.3%
2010	77.00	474^th	2139	77.8%
2011	76.33	487^th	2147	77.3%
2012	72.71	633^rd	2166	70.8%
2013	85.82	256^th	2167	88.2%
2014	86.39	238^th	2093	88.6%
2015	77.00	405^th	2052	80.3%
2016	83.93	293^rd	2046	85.7%
2017	80.70	358^th	2044	82.5%
2018	76.89	430^th	2037	78.9%
2019	72.74	504^th	2086	75.8%
2021	77.56	384^th	1948	80.3%
2022	79.55	387^th	2082	81.4%
2023	72.63	504^th	2077	75.7%
2024	69.75	554^th	2067	73.2%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	83.38	51^st	718	92.9%
2019	90.99	20^th	743	97.3%
2021	73.56	50^th	537	90.7%
2022	80.80	50^th	768	93.5%
2023	59.59	201^st	788	74.5%
2024	71.78	105^th	826	87.3%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	21.43	691^st	763	9.4%
2019	31.34	802^nd	1194	32.8%
2022	33.67	682^nd	1113	38.7%
2023	33.08	730^th	1156	36.9%
2024	46.54	523^rd	1195	56.2%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	68.59	361^st	1765	79.5%
2019	71.22	331^st	1816	81.8%
2021	65.18	330^th	1514	78.2%
2022	72.62	278^th	1763	84.2%
2023	70.97	323^rd	1808	82.1%
2024	57.75	609^th	1793	66.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	75.89	410^th	1964	79.1%
2019	72.01	500^th	2019	75.2%
2021	70.68	417^th	1680	75.2%
2022	75.44	426^th	1970	78.4%
2023	69.75	511^th	1957	73.9%
2024	65.78	576^th	1942	70.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	43.47	417^th	907	54.0%
2024	64.16	190^th	886	78.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	76.82	400^th	1972	79.7%
2019	71.66	488^th	2019	75.8%
2021	77.52	306^th	1707	82.1%
2022	80.93	318^th	1977	83.9%
2023	72.85	461^st	1984	76.8%
2024	70.18	506^th	1959	74.2%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	49.49	134^th	242	44.6%
2019	42.21	162^nd	243	33.3%
2021	43.11	81^st	134	39.6%
2022	55.15	110^th	226	51.3%
2023	45.75	137^th	237	42.2%
2024	45.80	142^nd	219	35.2%

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

Rank History for African American students at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	64.95	151^st	698	78.4%
2019	52.97	254^th	711	64.3%
2022	76.82	66^th	684	90.4%
2024	35.34	421^st	655	35.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	65.16	233^rd	938	75.2%
2019	54.89	343^rd	955	64.1%
2022	77.46	134^th	954	86.0%
2023	69.88	191^st	970	80.3%
2024	69.97	180^th	959	81.2%

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

Rank History for White students at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	54.69	637^th	1463	56.5%
2019	55.20	638^th	1462	56.4%
2021	35.13	882^nd	1308	32.6%
2022	37.10	937^th	1425	34.2%
2023	51.70	672^nd	1419	52.6%
2024	48.88	712^th	1392	48.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for White 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 Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1998	406	24	83	25	0	n/a	n/a	0	538
1999	477	31	113	36	0	n/a	n/a	0	657
2000	448	24	129	31	0	n/a	n/a	0	632
2001	494	34	158	45	0	n/a	n/a	0	731
2002	468	43	211	41	1	n/a	n/a	0	764
2003	468	43	211	41	1	n/a	n/a	0	764
2004	285	96	171	50	0	n/a	n/a	0	602
2005	282	87	165	47	0	n/a	n/a	30	611
2006	258	91	168	56	0	n/a	n/a	33	606
2007	242	91	174	61	0	n/a	n/a	36	604
2008	231	93	171	62	0	n/a	n/a	38	595
2009	243	112	199	70	0	n/a	n/a	49	673
2010	262	121	222	76	0	n/a	n/a	51	732
2011	235	116	234	105	0	0	41	0	731
2012	230	121	230	109	0	0	32	0	722
2013	244	116	237	131	1	0	34	0	763
2014	201	95	219	99	2	0	35	0	651
2015	187	83	218	107	1	0	31	0	627
2016	176	95	229	107	1	0	29	0	637
2017	192	69	259	96	1	0	32	0	649
2018	164	79	300	90	1	0	40	0	674
2019	163	92	310	90	1	3	38	0	697
2020	159	72	315	91	1	3	34	0	675
2021	147	71	322	91	1	2	40	0	674
2022	131	66	289	85	2	0	29	0	602
2023	106	62	239	107	1	0	33	0	548
2024	117	67	241	112	1	0	26	0	564

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 Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	538	25.5	21.1	n/a
1999	657	35.5	18.5	n/a
2000	632	30.0	21.1	n/a
2001	731	41.6	17.6	n/a
2002	764	45.1	16.9	0
2003	764	45.1	16.9	0
2004	602	37.5	16.1	0
2005	611	32.8	18.6	0
2006	606	29.2	20.8	0
2007	604	32.0	18.9	0
2008	595	33.0	18.0	0
2009	673	42.2	15.9	0
2010	732	47.1	15.5	23.6
2011	731	45.7	15.9	23.1
2012	722	45.6	15.8	28.4
2013	763	45.8	16.6	35.1
2014	651	41.6	15.6	31.8
2015	627	40.0	15.6	35.9
2016	637	41.0	15.5	29.8
2017	649	41.6	15.6	26.3
2018	674	43.2	15.6	26.9
2019	697	42.3	16.4	27
2020	675	48.3	13.9	22.7
2021	674	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	602	47.4	12.7	26.9
2023	548	43.8	12.5	30.8
2024	564	43.6	12.9	28.5

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 Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	538	25.5	21.1	n/a
1999	657	35.5	18.5	n/a
2000	632	30.0	21.1	n/a
2001	731	41.6	17.6	n/a
2002	764	45.1	16.9	0
2003	764	45.1	16.9	0
2004	602	37.5	16.1	0
2005	611	32.8	18.6	0
2006	606	29.2	20.8	0
2007	604	32.0	18.9	0
2008	595	33.0	18.0	0
2009	673	42.2	15.9	0
2010	732	47.1	15.5	23.6
2011	731	45.7	15.9	23.1
2012	722	45.6	15.8	28.4
2013	763	45.8	16.6	35.1
2014	651	41.6	15.6	31.8
2015	627	40.0	15.6	35.9
2016	637	41.0	15.5	29.8
2017	649	41.6	15.6	26.3
2018	674	43.2	15.6	26.9
2019	697	42.3	16.4	27
2020	675	48.3	13.9	22.7
2021	674	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	602	47.4	12.7	26.9
2023	548	43.8	12.5	30.8
2024	564	43.6	12.9	28.5

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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