The top reported proficiency rate is 47% in Math. The lowest is 42% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Irving Elem School
Irving Elementary is a small elementary school in Berwyn serving prekindergarten through fifth grade, with an enrollment of roughly four hundred fifty students. The school sits in a dense, walkable near-west Chicago suburb known for brick bungalows, long-time families, and strong ethnic heritage—a place where homes sit close together, streets have mature trees, and the Metra line runs through the downtown Depot District a short distance away.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a minority white enrollment and smaller Black, Asian, and mixed-race populations. Nearly all students participate in state testing, and the data provides a clear picture of where the school stands academically.
In math, the school shows uneven proficiency. Third graders are performing solidly, with better than half reaching proficiency or above. Fourth graders are struggling considerably, with proficiency dropping to well under half. Fifth grade rebounds somewhat, climbing back to the mid-range. In English language arts, the pattern is similar but shifted downward: third grade sits at roughly one in three students proficient, fourth grade is near half, and fifth grade improves to above half. On fifth-grade science, about two in five students met the standard. Overall, across all tested subjects and grades, the school's proficiency index places it above the midpoint among the county's districts—a meaningful position, though the grade-to-grade volatility and the notably weak performance in third-grade ELA suggest areas where instruction may need closer attention.
State assessment data was recently rescored, and the district has made wholesale curriculum changes that may affect coming years' results. Berwyn South School District 100 has adopted Amplify CKLA, a structured-literacy curriculum aligned to the science of reading, for elementary classrooms, alongside the Caminos Spanish program for dual-language students. The district has also shifted to Bridges in Mathematics at the elementary level. These adoptions represent the district's deliberate turn toward evidence-based approaches and rolled out across all schools, so Irving families are part of that transition.
The school's dual-language program is a notable feature. The district now operates K-8 Spanish/English bilingual pathways across six schools, having graduated its first middle school cohort in the 2023-24 school year. For families considering multilingual education, this means students can stay in a continuous bilingual track from kindergarten through eighth grade rather than exiting after elementary, which is a genuine program depth.
Housing in the Berwyn area is affordable by Chicago metro standards. Home values have climbed modestly over the past year, and monthly rents have risen, but both remain accessible relative to broader regional costs. The neighborhood is stable and built-out, so growth comes through infill and renovation rather than new subdivisions. The Berwyn Park District provides recreation anchors like Proksa Park, and the Metra commuter rail offers a short trip into Chicago. The school's location on Clinton Avenue places it in a fully residential block of single-family homes and duplexes typical of the city.
A parent considering Irving should understand that the school is navigating a period of curriculum transition. The math and reading results show room for growth, particularly in the upper elementary grades where fourth-grade performance dips. The adoption of new core materials should provide structure and consistency, but whether those gains translate quickly is still an open question. The school's strength relative to other county schools and the presence of a robust bilingual pathway suggest there is institutional commitment to improvement. State testing data will offer clearer insight into whether the new curricula are taking hold. For families drawn to a walkable, diverse, close-knit residential suburb with a coherent dual-language option, Irving offers that setting. For those prioritizing high proficiency numbers right now, the recent state results merit a close conversation with school staff about where the school is heading.
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