Jefferson Elem School, Berwyn IL

Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Elem School

Jefferson Elem School is a small public elementary school serving pre-K through fifth grade in Berwyn, a dense, walkable inner-ring Chicago suburb known for brick bungalows, strong ethnic heritage, and close-knit residential blocks. The school enrolls a modest student population with a composition that is predominantly Hispanic, followed by African American students, with smaller numbers of Asian, white, and multiracial families. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available for this school.

The school sits within Berwyn North SD 98, which has invested district-wide in STEAM labs and hands-on STEM pedagogy. All four schools in the district, including Jefferson, now have dedicated STEAM labs where students in elementary grades engage with the Woz ED curriculum centered on engineering, coding, robotics, and augmented-reality projects. This represents a lasting curricular commitment families will encounter across grades PK through 5.

On state assessments (Illinois Assessment of Readiness), Jefferson's proficiency results are modest across the tested grades. In grade 3, math proficiency sits below the midpoint for a school of its type; grade 4 math shows similar performance. Grade 5 math and English language arts perform somewhat better in English, though science proficiency in grade 5 is notably low. Participation rates across these assessments are high, indicating the school completes testing reliably. A state assessment cut-score change was implemented in 2024-25, so year-to-year trend data is not yet available. When placed against the broader set of districts in Cook County, Jefferson's overall proficiency index sits slightly below the median, suggesting performance in line with many comparable schools in the district cohort.

The Berwyn housing market is modest by Chicago-area standards, with homes priced in the low-to-mid range and rents relatively affordable for the region. The community is highly walkable; daily life centers on the Depot District along the Metra line, and schools are distributed through residential neighborhoods rather than on separate campuses. Employment is anchored by Loyola MacNeal Hospital and small retail and service businesses along Cermak, Roosevelt, and Ogden Roads. The city has completed an ADA Transition Plan to address sidewalk and accessibility gaps.

Enrollment in the school is stable, with grades fairly evenly distributed across the PK-5 band. State testing data for sixth through eighth grades was not reported, which reflects that Jefferson serves only through fifth grade; the district operates Lincoln Middle School for grades 6 and beyond. A parent considering Jefferson can expect a STEAM-integrated elementary experience in a small, ethnically diverse school within a fully built-out, walkable residential neighborhood. The modest proficiency levels suggest a parent may want to discuss with the school what supplementary supports or programs are available for students working toward grade-level standards.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 44%

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 441%

School 41% · District 38% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 36% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 342%

School 42% · District 40% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 451%

School 51% · District 50% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 58% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 28% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

This schoolBerwyn North SD 98, 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.