Hamlin Upper Grade Center, Alsip IL

Original Research by School Decision on Hamlin Upper Grade Center

Hamlin Upper Grade Center is a public school serving grades six through eight in Alsip, located in Cook County. The school enrolls a small student body spread across three grades, with roughly a quarter more eighth graders than sixth graders.

The student body is diverse. About half the enrollment is Hispanic, more than a third is white, and roughly one in seven students is Black. The school does not report free-or-reduced-price lunch counts, English learner identification, or special education enrollment, so a parent should contact the school directly to understand the composition of students receiving those supports.

State testing data from the most recent year shows a stark subject gap. In English language arts, the school performs with real strength: both seventh and eighth graders reach proficiency at rates well above half. Eighth grade particularly stands out, with almost seven in ten students meeting state proficiency. Sixth grade ELA proficiency sits at about half.

Mathematics tells a different story. Across the grades the school reports, proficiency is low. Sixth graders show roughly one in eight at proficiency, eighth graders one in ten. Seventh grade performs better, at just under one in four, but still well below what the state typically expects. In science, eighth grade results sit at two in five proficient. Fifth grade science data was not available; the school serves only middle grades, so that testing likely happens in a feeder elementary.

Against other districts in Cook County, the school's overall proficiency index falls below the midpoint. A parent interested in math support should ask the school directly about intervention structures and instructional approaches at both the sixth and eighth grade levels, where the gaps are widest. The ELA strength suggests the school is building momentum in one domain and may be worth examining further if reading and writing growth matters most to your family.

The school sits in Alsip, a southwest Cook County village rooted in manufacturing and home to warehousing, logistics, and healthcare employers. The neighborhood is residential and car-dependent, with single-family homes in ranch and bungalow styles alongside industrial parks. Civic amenities include a Metra station, parks, and a public library branch. Housing in the area is moderately priced relative to the broader region, and the market is steady with inventory available.

Recent development in Alsip has favored industrial and supportive-housing projects over large residential subdivisions. The school is part of Atwood Heights SD 125, a small district serving Alsip, Merrionette Park, and Oak Lawn. No significant district-level policy changes were publicly reported in recent years.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 613%

School 13% · District 13%

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 724%

School 24% · District 24%

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 811%

School 11% · District 11%

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 652%

School 52% · District 52%

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 762%

School 62% · District 62%

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 870%

School 70% · District 70%

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Science

Grade 840%

School 40% · District 40%

even with state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

This schoolAtwood Heights SD 125, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.