The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in English language arts. The lowest is 25% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln Middle School
Lincoln Middle School, part of Berwyn North School District 98, serves the three middle grades in a deeply Hispanic, working-class residential suburb just west of Chicago. The school's enrollment is solidly mid-sized for the grade band, with a student body that is overwhelmingly Hispanic, substantial representation of Black students, and very small shares of other groups. Free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility was not available in the data, but the community profile and demographics suggest a population with modest household means.
The most recent state testing results show a meaningful gap between ELA performance and math performance. In English language arts, the school's students in grades six through eight all achieved proficiency rates between about half and two-thirds of the cohort, with eighth grade showing the strongest result. Mathematics proficiency is considerably weaker across the board, with sixth-grade students at roughly one in five meeting the standard and seventh and eighth grades closer to one in three. Eighth-grade science showed proficiency at just above half. These results place the school below the midpoint among Cook County districts on an overall proficiency index. Parents may want to look into the school's math intervention and support structures to understand what tutoring, small-group instruction, or curriculum adjustments are underway to close this gap, particularly in sixth grade where the learning challenge appears sharpest.
A significant strength is the district-wide STEAM lab initiative that has now reached all schools, including Lincoln. The school is equipped with hands-on engineering, coding, robotics, and AR/VR labs using the FUSE curriculum, a choice-based, student-led program backed by Northwestern University research. This is not a one-off elective but a lasting pedagogy shift embedded across the grade bands. Families drawn to project-based, applied learning in tech-adjacent fields will encounter this infrastructure as a core part of the school day.
State assessment data on attendance, suspension, and graduation do not appear for a middle school because middle grades are not tested on those metrics. The school's participation rate in testing was very high, close to complete across all grades and subjects, which is a baseline indicator of engagement.
Lincoln Middle is situated in Berwyn proper, an urban-grid residential suburb with a strong sense of place. The city is built on compact blocks of brick bungalows and two-flats, tree-lined streets, and walkable commercial corridors along Cermak and Roosevelt roads, plus a downtown Depot District anchored by three Metra stops. The neighborhood around the school is ethnically rooted, with Czech, Italian, and Hispanic heritage woven into the streetscape. Housing costs have been stable and remain moderate relative to much of the Chicago metro area. The district serves a student population that reflects this neighborhood composition and includes a substantial share of English learners, though specific English learner count and rate were not available.
This is a school that is invested in applied, hands-on instruction and serves a real neighborhood with deep community ties. The math proficiency numbers warrant direct conversation with the school about classroom strategies and support. The ELA results are solid and suggest that literacy instruction is on firmer ground.
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