The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in English language arts. The lowest is 10% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Roosevelt Middle School
Roosevelt Middle School serves grades six through eight in Bellwood, a small residential suburb about fourteen miles west of downtown Chicago in Cook County. The school enrollment sits at roughly mid-sized for a middle school, distributed roughly evenly across the three grade levels. The student body is predominantly students of color, with substantial shares identifying as Black and Hispanic, reflecting the broader demographic character of the western Cook County suburbs.
State assessment data on Illinois state tests shows consistent patterns across Roosevelt's three grades. English language arts results are stronger than mathematics. In grade six, roughly one-fifth of students met the proficiency standard on the ELA test, and this share grew modestly to roughly one-quarter by grade eight. Mathematics proficiency rates are notably lower across the school: grade six sits at around one in fourteen students proficient, grade seven at one in eight, and grade eight at roughly one in nine. Science testing in grade eight showed proficiency near one in six students. Participation rates on all assessments were strong, ranging from roughly 97 to 99 percent, indicating that testing data reflects the school's actual student performance rather than spotty test-taking. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among schools across Cook County districts, reflecting these low proficiency rates. A parent may want to look into further with the school what instructional approaches are underway to address these gaps, particularly in mathematics.
Regarding the broader context: Bellwood itself is quiet and neighborhood-scaled, predominantly residential with brick and bungalow housing stock on sidewalk-lined streets. The village has historically lacked a strong downtown but is actively building one through the Bellwood Gateway development, a workforce-housing and mixed-use project that broke ground in summer 2024 and is slated to open in spring 2026. Housing values in the Bellwood zip code are below both state and national medians. Rental costs are moderate, and the monthly affordability picture for a prospective home purchase or rental is reasonable relative to median household income in the region. The Bellwood Metra station on the Union Pacific West Line provides rail access to downtown Chicago and Pace bus service.
No recent parent-relevant district changes such as referendums, curriculum reforms, or budget shifts were documented in publicly available sources. The school itself sits within Bellwood School District 88, a regular public school without charter, magnet, or specialized designation. Data on teacher staffing, specific program offerings, attendance, and school discipline were not available in the sources reviewed. Similarly, the free-or-reduced-price lunch rate, counts of students with Individual Education Plans, and English learner enrollment were not reported. Without these details, a parent evaluating Roosevelt would benefit from reaching out directly to the school and district to understand the nature and scope of support services, the specific curriculum in core subjects, and what targeted interventions are being deployed to move students toward proficiency.
See more original research from School Decision →