Fiske Elem School, Chicago IL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Fiske Elem School

Fiske Elementary School is a PreK-8 public school on the South Side of Chicago, enrolling around 400 students. The school serves a neighborhood population that is predominantly Black, with a small multiracial and Latino presence. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility data was not available in the school profile, so a parent cannot assess what portion of the enrollment faces food insecurity, though South Side Chicago neighborhoods where Fiske sits typically have higher rates.

The academic picture is stark. On the 2024-25 Illinois state assessments, proficiency in math and English language arts is extremely low across all tested grade levels. In grades 3 and 4, math proficiency runs in the single digits, and grade 5 and 8 show zero students at proficiency levels in math. English language arts results are similarly poor: grades 3 through 7 cluster between roughly 9 and 18 percent, with eighth grade reaching 25 percent. Science proficiency data is limited to grades 5 and 8; both show under 12 percent proficiency. These are well-documented results from the state, and a parent should understand that Fiske's students are not meeting grade-level standards at rates that indicate strong core instruction or robust academic support.

In the context of Cook County, where 175 districts report data, Fiske's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among schools countywide. The comparison is not aspirational; it is factual. State assessment data alone do not capture everything schools do, and gaps in other metrics such as graduation rate (not applicable at this grade band), chronic absenteeism rates, and discipline data mean the full picture is incomplete. Even so, the testing evidence points to serious academic need.

The school does serve students from PreK through eighth grade, a span that keeps families together in one building for an extended arc. The school is not a magnet or charter; it is a regular public school in Chicago Public Schools District 299, meaning it operates under the district's broader policies and is bound by the district's recent shifts toward strengthening neighborhood-based schooling. A parent considering Fiske should know that CPS has recently replaced its old numeric school ratings with new accountability dashboards and has adopted a district-wide curriculum called Skyline. These changes affect all CPS schools, including Fiske.

No information was available about special education services, English learner support, staff-to-student ratios, attendance patterns, behavioral climate, or specific academic programs beyond the standard core. These details matter and a parent may want to ask the school directly about what interventions exist for students who are not meeting proficiency, what English learner services are available if needed, and how the school works with families on student progress.

The South Side neighborhood where Fiske sits has experienced housing appreciation in recent years, though prices and rents remain modest relative to other parts of Chicago. The area is part of a broader city growth story: Chicago has returned to population growth after a decade of decline, and Cook County's housing market shows steady activity, though relatively restrained demand. For a family considering this school, location in a historically disinvested South Side neighborhood may mean shorter commutes and lower housing costs than many other Chicago areas, but the neighborhood context also reflects economic stress that shapes school resources and family circumstances.

A parent should approach Fiske with eyes open. The proficiency numbers are very low, and state assessment data are the most reliable independent measure of whether students are learning grade-level content. A family might use this information to ask hard questions of the school about what specific academic supports exist, what the school's plan is for improving outcomes, and how individual students will be taught at or above grade level. If Fiske is the assigned neighborhood school for a family, and the family cannot or does not wish to use school choice options (selective enrollment, magnet, or charter schools), then knowing what the school offers in terms of tutoring, targeted reading and math instruction, parent engagement, and connections to external tutoring or academic resources becomes all the more important.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 32%

School 2% · District 38% · ▼ 36 pts below district

▼ 44 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

Grade 45%

School 5% · District 29% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 24% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 64%

School 4% · District 23% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 718%

School 18% · District 27% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 23% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 313%

School 13% · District 36% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 39% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 36 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 59%

School 9% · District 43% · ▼ 33 pts below district

▼ 43 pts below state median · ▼ 36 pts below county median

Grade 612%

School 12% · District 45% · ▼ 33 pts below district

▼ 39 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 718%

School 18% · District 46% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 48% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Science

Grade 56%

School 6% · District 29% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 811%

School 11% · District 31% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

This schoolChicago Public Schools Dist 299, 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.