Is Cooper Middle School a good school?

Cooper Middle School ranks 400 th of 1363 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Cooper Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 694 students attended Cooper Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Cooper Middle School?

Students at Cooper Middle School are 61% White, 25% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 2% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What high school do graduates of Cooper Middle School attend?

Students who attend Cooper Middle School usually go on to attend Buffalo Grove High School

Cooper Middle School

Summary:

Cooper Middle School is a public middle school located in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 675 students. The school is part of the Wheeling CCSD 21 district, which is ranked 588 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cooper Middle School consistently ranks in the top 25-30% of Illinois middle schools, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics are significantly higher than the district and state averages across all grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Cooper Middle School had 46.9% of students proficient or better in ELA, compared to 28.7% for the district and 41.2% for the state. In Mathematics, Cooper Middle School had 34.5% of students proficient or better, compared to 24.6% for the district and 28.4% for the state. The school's performance in Science is also strong, with 63.7% of students proficient or better, compared to 50.6% for the district and 53.2% for the state.

While Cooper Middle School outperforms the other Wheeling CCSD 21 middle schools, such as Oliver W Holmes Middle School and Jack London Middle School, its performance is still relatively lower when compared to higher-performing districts like Kildeer Countryside CCSD 96 and Arlington Heights School District 25, especially in Mathematics and for certain student subgroups. Additionally, Cooper Middle School has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 5.9% in 2019-2020 to 23.4% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the state average of 18.2%.

Detail:

Public 6-8

1050 Plum Grove Cir
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089-1911

(847) 520-2750

District: Wheeling CCSD 21

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,633

Students who attend Cooper Middle School usually attend:

High:

Buffalo Grove High School

Feeder schools for Cooper Middle School:

Elementary:	Edgar A Poe Elementary School
	Henry W Longfellow Elementary School
	Joyce Kilmer Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.9

Number of students: 694

Racial breakdown:

White:

60.7%

Hispanic:

24.6%

Asian:

9.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 50%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Cooper Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Cooper Middle School ranks better than 70.7% of middle schools in Illinois. It also ranks first among 3 ranked middle schools in the Wheeling CCSD 21 School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 64.51. (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 Cooper Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Wheeling CCSD 21 School District. Racial makeup is: White (60.7%), Hispanic (24.6%), Asian (9.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 50% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Wheeling CCSD 21 School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cooper Middle School is 12.9, which is the highest among 3 middle schools in the Wheeling CCSD 21 School District! (See more...)

Compare Cooper Middle School employs 53.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cooper Middle School is $19,633, which is the lowest among 3 middle schools in the Wheeling CCSD 21 School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cooper Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Cooper Middle School 400^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Cooper 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:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Wheeling CCSD 21:

SchoolDigger ranks Wheeling CCSD 21 588^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Cooper Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Cooper Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	79.81	229^th	1185	80.7%
2004	82.96	166^th	1204	86.2%
2005	83.92	153^rd	1209	87.3%
2006	82.74	145^th	1272	88.6%
2007	77.51	246^th	1287	80.9%
2008	71.67	379^th	1293	70.7%
2009	72.86	357^th	1318	72.9%
2010	68.70	446^th	1327	66.4%
2011	72.48	368^th	1344	72.6%
2012	79.03	222^nd	1365	83.7%
2013	79.58	238^th	1367	82.6%
2014	74.13	309^th	1322	76.6%
2015	72.20	290^th	1302	77.7%
2016	64.76	375^th	1294	71.0%
2017	72.61	297^th	1293	77.0%
2018	71.66	305^th	1293	76.4%
2019	70.65	338^th	1356	75.1%
2021	69.80	295^th	1241	76.2%
2022	76.66	260^th	1369	81.0%
2023	66.87	366^th	1367	73.2%
2024	64.51	400^th	1363	70.7%

See the entire list of Illinois Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Cooper Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	62.37	41^st	285	85.6%
2019	56.44	76^th	339	77.6%
2021	63.37	33^rd	277	88.1%
2022	49.81	150^th	454	67.0%
2023	44.04	218^th	480	54.6%
2024	66.98	72^nd	486	85.2%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Cooper Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	53.58	189^th	602	68.6%
2019	51.30	259^th	792	67.3%
2021	29.24	426^th	548	22.3%
2022	47.86	270^th	781	65.4%
2023	65.89	176^th	805	78.1%
2024	59.88	222^nd	802	72.3%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	61.23	347^th	1161	70.1%
2019	64.69	319^th	1217	73.8%
2021	55.49	337^th	1019	66.9%
2022	60.24	356^th	1221	70.8%
2023	50.57	531^st	1234	57.0%
2024	58.67	396^th	1219	67.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Cooper Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	70.40	302^nd	1226	75.4%
2019	68.99	340^th	1276	73.4%
2021	63.46	309^th	1017	69.6%
2022	71.47	292^nd	1286	77.3%
2023	63.39	380^th	1275	70.2%
2024	61.63	402^nd	1251	67.9%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Cooper Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	50.44	230^th	674	65.9%
2024	51.32	216^th	639	66.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Cooper Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	70.05	295^th	1223	75.9%
2019	70.35	316^th	1296	75.6%
2021	70.27	236^th	1048	77.5%
2022	79.08	198^th	1286	84.6%
2023	68.12	322^nd	1292	75.1%
2024	65.52	352^nd	1264	72.2%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Cooper Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	38.54	142^nd	209	32.1%
2019	31.37	148^th	201	26.4%
2021	52.79	53^rd	112	52.7%
2022	58.34	86^th	198	56.6%
2023	49.23	98^th	192	49.0%
2024	47.18	110^th	184	40.2%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Cooper Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	33.05	417^th	590	29.3%
2019	40.22	367^th	639	42.6%
2021	39.78	293^rd	517	43.3%
2022	37.36	403^rd	662	39.1%
2023	33.18	449^th	661	32.1%
2024	38.09	371^st	643	42.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Cooper Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	68.96	240^th	889	73.0%
2019	67.92	248^th	905	72.6%
2021	59.63	285^th	813	64.9%
2022	72.24	187^th	898	79.2%
2023	58.80	317^th	895	64.6%
2024	55.11	369^th	875	57.8%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle 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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a teacher
Tuesday, January 8, 2013

This school is the worst school in the state. The staff bullies the students and students are allowed to bully other students without any response from the staff to prevent it.

If you want a fair playing field DONOT ATTEND COOPER. They don't know the meaning of fair, only favorite! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Cooper Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	458	3	25	5	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	491
1989	450	2	20	8	3	n/a	n/a	0	483
1990	475	4	23	7	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	509
1991	513	8	24	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	555
1992	444	5	32	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	486
1993	548	4	38	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	609
1994	648	6	48	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	723
1995	638	9	40	20	0	n/a	n/a	0	707
1996	638	9	40	20	0	n/a	n/a	0	707
1997	567	4	57	19	1	n/a	n/a	0	648
1998	599	3	58	19	1	n/a	n/a	0	680
1999	588	4	47	16	1	n/a	n/a	0	656
2000	611	8	52	27	0	n/a	n/a	0	698
2001	620	12	62	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	720
2002	621	8	45	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	703
2003	621	8	45	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	703
2004	606	9	46	26	1	n/a	n/a	0	688
2005	570	20	52	49	0	n/a	n/a	1	692
2006	541	23	49	94	0	n/a	n/a	8	715
2007	585	23	46	147	0	n/a	n/a	11	812
2008	576	19	55	168	0	n/a	n/a	15	833
2009	531	13	47	132	0	n/a	n/a	16	739
2010	469	14	51	151	0	n/a	n/a	34	719
2011	421	11	63	173	7	4	16	0	695
2012	394	13	57	177	8	4	15	0	668
2013	412	7	48	191	8	3	10	0	679
2014	394	12	47	206	5	1	11	0	676
2015	410	13	41	217	6	1	12	0	700
2016	399	12	52	200	6	0	16	0	685
2017	423	9	68	185	10	1	13	0	709
2018	388	11	71	187	9	1	12	0	679
2019	366	9	56	203	0	1	27	0	662
2020	364	10	67	208	1	0	18	0	668
2021	386	15	76	198	2	0	23	0	700
2022	353	13	79	180	2	0	22	0	649
2023	389	19	75	170	2	0	20	0	675
2024	421	15	67	171	4	0	16	0	694

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 Cooper Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	491	34.0	14.4	n/a
1989	483	34.3	14.0	n/a
1990	509	35.4	14.3	n/a
1991	555	38.8	14.3	n/a
1992	486	38.1	12.7	n/a
1993	609	43.6	14.0	n/a
1994	723	46.9	15.4	n/a
1995	707	60.5	11.7	n/a
1996	707	60.5	11.7	n/a
1997	648	54.4	11.9	n/a
1998	680	56.6	12.0	n/a
1999	656	58.1	11.3	n/a
2000	698	60.6	11.5	n/a
2001	720	62.3	11.6	n/a
2002	703	62.8	11.2	7.7
2003	703	62.8	11.2	7.7
2004	688	60.7	11.3	7.3
2005	692	57.9	12.0	9.1
2006	715	58.6	12.2	16.4
2007	812	62.0	13.1	22
2008	833	56.0	14.9	27
2009	739	68.5	10.8	23.4
2010	719	66.4	10.8	28.6
2011	695	62.5	11.1	31.9
2012	668	57.3	11.6	31.9
2013	679	94.6	7.1	35.6
2014	676	52.8	12.8	35.7
2015	700	57.0	12.2	39.3
2016	685	53.0	12.9	32.4
2017	709	55.7	12.7	34.8
2018	679	50.5	13.4	38.7
2019	662	51.3	12.8	37.5
2020	668	52.9	12.6	36.7
2021	700	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	649	53.0	12.2	33.1
2023	675	49.0	13.7	39.4
2024	694	53.4	12.9	50

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 Cooper Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	491	34.0	14.4	n/a
1989	483	34.3	14.0	n/a
1990	509	35.4	14.3	n/a
1991	555	38.8	14.3	n/a
1992	486	38.1	12.7	n/a
1993	609	43.6	14.0	n/a
1994	723	46.9	15.4	n/a
1995	707	60.5	11.7	n/a
1996	707	60.5	11.7	n/a
1997	648	54.4	11.9	n/a
1998	680	56.6	12.0	n/a
1999	656	58.1	11.3	n/a
2000	698	60.6	11.5	n/a
2001	720	62.3	11.6	n/a
2002	703	62.8	11.2	7.7
2003	703	62.8	11.2	7.7
2004	688	60.7	11.3	7.3
2005	692	57.9	12.0	9.1
2006	715	58.6	12.2	16.4
2007	812	62.0	13.1	22
2008	833	56.0	14.9	27
2009	739	68.5	10.8	23.4
2010	719	66.4	10.8	28.6
2011	695	62.5	11.1	31.9
2012	668	57.3	11.6	31.9
2013	679	94.6	7.1	35.6
2014	676	52.8	12.8	35.7
2015	700	57.0	12.2	39.3
2016	685	53.0	12.9	32.4
2017	709	55.7	12.7	34.8
2018	679	50.5	13.4	38.7
2019	662	51.3	12.8	37.5
2020	668	52.9	12.6	36.7
2021	700	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	649	53.0	12.2	33.1
2023	675	49.0	13.7	39.4
2024	694	53.4	12.9	50

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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