The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in English language arts. The lowest is 23% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on W W Walker Elem School
W W Walker Elementary is a small public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Bedford Park, a heavily industrial village at Chicago's southwestern edge in Cook County. The school sits within Summit School District 104, which spans two communities: the tiny residential pocket of Bedford Park and the adjacent village of Summit.
The student enrollment is modest, with roughly a small number of students distributed across the six grades. The school serves a predominantly Hispanic student population, with smaller populations of white students and a very small number of students of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and special education enrollment were not available; neither was information on the rate of students identified as English learners, despite the linguistic diversity evident in the enrollment composition.
Academic performance, measured by Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) state testing in math and English language arts for grades three, four, and fifth, shows students in the lower range of proficiency statewide. In math, the school's proficiency rates in these tested grades range from the low twenties to mid-thirties. English language arts proficiency is somewhat higher, ranging from mid-thirties to mid-forties across the same grades. Science testing in fifth grade (administered via the ISA 2.0) returned a proficiency rate in the low twenties. Statewide assessment cut scores changed this year, making year-to-year trend analysis unsafe. When the school's overall proficiency index is placed against other districts in Cook County, it falls in the bottom quartile countywide.
The district has made facility investments directly affecting Walker School. In summer 2023, the school received a secure entrance addition as part of a broader district capital project that also upgraded Walker's sister building, Wharton School, in Summit and expanded space at Otis P. Graves Elementary in Summit by relocating district administration to a new building. These physical improvements address overcrowding and building security. The district also operates Otis P. Graves as a dual-language school, signaling a sustained commitment to bilingual education that may be relevant to families in either community given the Hispanic-majority student population across the district.
The housing market in the 60501 zip code shows modest-value homes, with overall values and monthly mortgage estimates well below state and national benchmarks. The area supports limited residential growth; the village's economy and planning are oriented toward industrial logistics and distribution, with major employers including rail yards, warehouse facilities, and trucking operations. Residential streets in Bedford Park are walled off from the surrounding industrial activity. Public transit access includes nearby Metra service and proximity to Midway Airport and interstate highways, which serve the industrial zone more than the residential community.
A parent considering Walker should look into current class sizes and any interventions or support programs the school offers students who do not yet meet proficiency targets, as the proficiency rates suggest a meaningful gap between many students' current skill levels and grade-level expectations. The data presented here reflects recent state testing results; conversations with school leadership about academic priorities and student support would give a fuller picture of the school's response to these results.
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