Fred Rodgers Magnet Acad, Aurora IL

Original Research by School Decision on Fred Rodgers Magnet Acad

Fred Rogers Magnet Academy is a middle school serving grades six through eight in Aurora, part of Aurora East School District 131. The school enrolls a small student body, with sixth grade having the largest cohort, followed by seventh and eighth grades. The student population is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller counts of white, Black, Asian, and multiracial students, plus a very small number of American Indian and Alaska Native students. Demographic detail on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, students with IEPs, and English learners was not available in the data provided.

State assessment data shows a mixed picture across math and English language arts. In sixth grade, students scored above the midpoint on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness in ELA, with most meeting proficiency. By seventh grade, ELA proficiency remained strong, and eighth-grade performance in ELA was particularly high, with the vast majority of tested students meeting proficiency. Mathematics tells a different story. Sixth-grade math proficiency was solid and above the state median, but seventh-grade math proficiency dropped substantially, falling to the lower half of where the school performs across subjects. Eighth-grade math recovered somewhat but remained well below the strong sixth-grade baseline. Science proficiency in eighth grade, the only grade tested in science, was respectable and well above the state median. All students participated in the assessments, indicating good engagement and attendance during testing.

Against the proficiency performance of other schools in Kane County, Fred Rogers Magnet Academy ranks in the top quartile overall when averaging across all tested subjects and grades. This positioning reflects strength in ELA across the upper grades and solid science results, which offset the weaker seventh-grade mathematics showing.

A parent may want to look into the causes of the seventh-grade mathematics dip with the school directly; it could reflect a single cohort, curriculum transition, or other factors worth understanding. The school's magnet designation is listed but no magnet program detail appears in the available data, so a parent would benefit from asking the school directly what the magnet focus is and how it shapes the curriculum and experience.

Aurora itself is a mid-sized Illinois city, the second-most populous in the state, with a revitalized downtown core along the Fox River anchored by civic and cultural venues, and residential neighborhoods spreading outward. The area is in active growth mode, with new apartment communities and mixed-use development underway downtown. The 60505 zip code where Fred Rogers sits shows median home values roughly in line with state benchmarks and rental rates in the moderate range. Housing affordability is reasonable relative to national figures, though families should review current mortgage and rental costs directly for their own situation.

The district itself is implementing a progressive, long-term dual language program rolled out grade by grade with the goal that all students become bilingual and biliterate. This curriculum shift affects reading, writing, and content instruction from early grades forward, so a family choosing this school should understand whether and how dual language instruction shapes the program their child enters. The district adopted a new five-year strategic plan in 2024 focused on equity, operational excellence, and closing opportunity gaps, which guides school-level goal-setting and resource decisions.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 660%

School 60% · District 12% · ▲ 48 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 741%

School 41% · District 14% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 845%

School 45% · District 14% · ▲ 31 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 685%

School 85% · District 25% · ▲ 60 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 780%

School 80% · District 29% · ▲ 51 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 893%

School 93% · District 31% · ▲ 61 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Science

Grade 877%

School 77% · District 27% · ▲ 49 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

This schoolAurora East USD 131, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income38%Higher-income48%10 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income65%Higher-income64%1 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income51%Higher-income52%1 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income67%Higher-income54%14 pp gap