The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Brownell Elem School
Brownell Elementary serves a small neighborhood school population in Chicago's South Shore community, operating across the early grades from pre-K through sixth grade. The school sits at a critical juncture: its academic performance numbers show acute challenges, while the location and community context shape what kind of school experience families should expect.
Academic performance is the most immediate concern. On the most recent state assessments, proficiency rates in math fall sharply below what would be typical for elementary schools anywhere. Third grade math proficiency is low, fourth grade proficiency drops further, and fifth grade records no students at proficiency. English language arts shows more variation: fourth grade achieves roughly half proficiency, and sixth grade reaches proficiency for about half the cohort. Third grade in ELA is extremely low, and fifth grade falls between the two. Science proficiency at fifth grade is negligible. These are not scattered weak results; they reflect a pattern of students not meeting state standards across grades and subjects. A parent considering Brownell needs to understand clearly that academic instruction here is substantially below state benchmarks, and a parent may want to discuss with the school what supports are in place or planned, and what the trajectory looks like.
When compared against other schools in Cook County, Brownell ranks in the bottom quarter of proficiency. The overall proficiency index places it well below the median and nearer to the lowest performers in the county district group, so this is not a matter of isolated subject or grade weakness, but a school-wide instructional challenge.
The student body is predominantly Black (roughly 97 percent), with a very small number of Hispanic, white, and multiracial students. Enrollment is small for an elementary school, around 127 students spread fairly evenly across eight grades, with 20 students in fourth and 18 in kindergarten being among the larger cohorts. No data was available on free or reduced price lunch participation, special education identification, or English learner populations, so a parent should ask the school directly about the composition of support needs and whether students are receiving targeted intervention.
The school is a regular public school within Chicago Public Schools District 299, so it operates under the district's current governance and accountability structures. The district has recently shifted away from numeric ratings toward holistic dashboards and is moving strategic emphasis toward strengthening neighborhood schools after decades of choice-based enrollment. Brownell serves its immediate South Shore neighborhood and does not appear to have selective admissions or magnet status.
Chicago's housing market in the 60637 zip code shows modest median home values with small year-over-year appreciation, and rental costs have climbed notably over the past year. The neighborhood is part of a larger city that has resumed population growth and ongoing housing approvals, though the immediate residential context of South Shore would benefit from direct exploration by a prospective family.
The absence of data on chronic absenteeism, detailed staffing, specific intervention programs, or family engagement makes it impossible to assess other dimensions of school quality that could influence how students progress. A parent should seek that information directly from the school: what is the attendance rate, what are the turnover and experience levels among teachers, what specific reading and math interventions exist, and what is the school's approach to catching students up when they fall behind?
For families considering Brownell, this is a school where students are currently not acquiring foundational skills at expected grade levels, particularly in math. Whether it is the right fit depends on a family's ability to supplement instruction at home, tolerance for navigating school processes to get additional support, confidence in the school's leadership and willingness to change, and commitment to the South Shore neighborhood itself. The school's small size and neighborhood location are real assets for community rootedness, but they do not offset the academic performance gap that a parent must address head-on.
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