The top reported proficiency rate is 42% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Freedom Middle School
Freedom Middle School serves grades 6 through 8 in Berwyn, a densely settled near-west Chicago suburb known for its brick bungalows, tree-lined streets, and ethnic heritage. The school draws a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller representation of Asian, Black, and white students. The enrollment sits at a manageable size for a middle school, distributed across the three grades.
Academic performance at Freedom reflects challenges that warrant close attention. In math, proficiency rates are low across the grade levels the school tested. Sixth grade proficiency sits well below half. Seventh and eighth grades show modest improvement, but remain below one in four students meeting proficiency. English language arts tells a different story: sixth graders show nearly two in five meeting proficiency, seventh graders land just under that mark, and eighth graders post a notably stronger outcome, with about half the grade proficient. Science proficiency at eighth grade hovers around one in three students. These results place Freedom in the bottom quartile of Cook County school districts on overall proficiency, suggesting that students here need additional academic support, particularly in mathematics.
The state assessment data carries an important caveat: Illinois adjusted its proficiency cut scores across subjects in 2025, which means direct year-to-year trend comparison is not reliable. This is a common occurrence when states recalibrate their tests, and it makes it difficult for families to gauge whether performance is improving or holding steady from prior years. A parent may want to look into this further with the school or the district to get a clearer picture of how the school's math and ELA instruction has evolved.
Freedom is part of Berwyn South School District 100, which has undertaken meaningful curriculum changes that shape what students experience in the classroom. The district adopted Amplify ELA for middle school, built on structured-literacy principles, and has shifted math instruction to the Desmos Middle School Math Curriculum. These are foundational changes to how reading and mathematics are taught, and families should expect to see different approaches in homework and classwork compared to past years. The district also operates a K-8 dual-language program spanning six schools, with Spanish and English instruction woven together; this pathway is not part of Freedom's standard offering but is available elsewhere in the district for families seeking bilingual education.
Berwyn itself is a fully developed urban neighborhood without room for large-scale expansion. The housing market shifted in 2025 from a strong seller's edge to a more balanced buyer-seller dynamic, with homes staying on the market for a moderate number of days and prices holding steady year over year. The area is highly walkable, with a commercial center in the Depot District and along several main corridors, making car-dependent living unnecessary for many daily needs. The Berwyn Public Library, Proksa Park, and three BNSF Metra stations anchor civic life, and CTA service is within reach of Roosevelt Road and Cermak Road.
Freedom's location at Ridgeland and the surrounding residential blocks places it in the heart of that compact neighborhood fabric. For families seeking a middle school embedded in an urban, walkable community with strong institutional anchors and long-term housing stability, this setting offers that texture. For families seeking to boost their child's math proficiency or looking for a school with above-average state test results, the current data suggests having a direct conversation with the school about remedial or acceleration pathways, tutoring, and how the new Desmos math curriculum is beginning to take hold in student learning.
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