Hawthorne Elem Scholastic Academy, Chicago IL

Original Research by School Decision on Hawthorne Elem Scholastic Academy

Hawthorne Elem Scholastic Academy is a regular public school spanning kindergarten through eighth grade in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, located on North Clifton Avenue. The school serves a small to mid-sized enrollment for its grade span, with a student body composed primarily of white students, along with substantial shares of Hispanic and Asian students, with smaller numbers of Black and multiracial students.

The school's academic performance stands out. Math proficiency runs consistently strong across tested grades: third through fifth graders show very high proficiency, with slight decline by sixth grade before stabilizing through eighth. English language arts results are similarly robust, with one grade achieving full proficiency and others in the high range. Science proficiency in fifth grade is strong, though eighth grade science proficiency drops noticeably compared to earlier grades and core subjects, a pattern worth noting if your child advances to that level. Overall, the school's proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile among districts in Cook County, indicating performance that stands above the typical district school in the region.

Test participation rates are consistently high across both subjects and grades, suggesting strong test-taking engagement. The school does not report chronic absenteeism data or graduation rates; neither applies to a school serving only K-8 students, so those gaps simply reflect the grade band.

The neighborhood itself is in Chicago's Lakeview area, known for dense residential character, walkable streets, and access to the lakefront and Lincoln Park. Housing values in the 60657 zip code are substantial and have grown in recent years, reflecting the area's desirability. Rents have similarly risen. The housing market in Cook County remains active with solid demand and competitive supply, though inventories have moderated from recent peaks.

Chicago Public Schools is undergoing significant structural change. A fully elected Board of Education will be in place by 2027 following the first contested election in 2024, giving families direct democratic input on district governance for the first time. The district's adopted strategic plan emphasizes strengthening neighborhood schools, moving away from the school-choice emphasis of prior decades. The district has also rolled out a comprehensive PreK-12 curriculum called Skyline, standardizing instructional materials across hundreds of campuses. These shifts affect how the district allocates resources and how schools position themselves within the CPS landscape.

Hawthorne sits within this evolving context. The school's testing data reflects solid academic grounding across elementary and middle grades, with particular strength in language arts and math through the middle years. Parents should consider that eighth-grade science proficiency drops notably; if your student will continue at a CPS high school, understanding that transition point may matter. The neighborhood offers the walkability and community resources characteristic of Lakeview, with housing costs reflecting the area's established demand. A parent weighing this school might want to look into current staffing, programming beyond core subjects, and how the school engages with the neighborhood fabric and community resources around it.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 397%

School 97% · District 38% · ▲ 59 pts above district

▲ 51 pts above state median · ▲ 58 pts above county median

Grade 496%

School 96% · District 29% · ▲ 67 pts above district

▲ 60 pts above state median · ▲ 68 pts above county median

Grade 596%

School 96% · District 24% · ▲ 73 pts above district

▲ 67 pts above state median · ▲ 75 pts above county median

Grade 692%

School 92% · District 23% · ▲ 70 pts above district

▲ 69 pts above state median · ▲ 75 pts above county median

Grade 794%

School 94% · District 27% · ▲ 67 pts above district

▲ 65 pts above state median · ▲ 73 pts above county median

Grade 895%

School 95% · District 23% · ▲ 72 pts above district

▲ 73 pts above state median · ▲ 78 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 393%

School 93% · District 36% · ▲ 56 pts above district

▲ 49 pts above state median · ▲ 56 pts above county median

Grade 4100%

School 100% · District 39% · ▲ 61 pts above district

▲ 52 pts above state median · ▲ 60 pts above county median

Grade 598%

School 98% · District 43% · ▲ 55 pts above district

▲ 45 pts above state median · ▲ 52 pts above county median

Grade 692%

School 92% · District 45% · ▲ 48 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 50 pts above county median

Grade 797%

School 97% · District 46% · ▲ 51 pts above district

▲ 46 pts above state median · ▲ 52 pts above county median

Grade 895%

School 95% · District 48% · ▲ 48 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 49 pts above county median

Science

Grade 592%

School 92% · District 29% · ▲ 64 pts above district

▲ 56 pts above state median · ▲ 65 pts above county median

Grade 886%

School 86% · District 31% · ▲ 55 pts above district

▲ 46 pts above state median · ▲ 59 pts above 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.