Locke J Elem School, Chicago IL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Locke J Elem School

Locke J Elem School is a regular public elementary school in Chicago's Near Northwest neighborhood serving roughly equal numbers of students in each grade from pre-K through eighth. The school is one of many in Chicago Public Schools District 299, the third-largest district in the nation.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller white enrollment and very small numbers of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available for this school. English learner and special education enrollment numbers were also not reported. The school's broader enrollment profile and precise socioeconomic makeup would benefit from follow-up with the school itself if those details matter to your family's choice.

Test results from the 2024-25 Illinois Assessment of Readiness show persistent academic challenges. In mathematics, fewer than one-third of students in grades 3 and 4 met the state's proficiency standard, and the rate dropped sharply in grade 5 to around one-tenth. By grades 6 and 7, only about one-fifth of students met the math standard, improving slightly to about one-sixth in grade 8. Across mathematics, the school's proficiency rates fall in the bottom quartile when compared to other districts in Cook County.

Performance in English language arts is somewhat stronger but still below state norms. Third graders attained proficiency at around three in ten students; fourth graders at roughly four in ten. Sixth and seventh graders showed the highest rates, approaching or reaching the mid-forties in percentage of students meeting the standard. By eighth grade, however, the rate dipped to around three in ten. Science results from grades 5 and 8 sit in the low twenties, also indicating substantial room for growth.

When proficiency across all tested subjects and grades is averaged, the school's overall index places it in the bottom quartile of Cook County districts. A parent may want to discuss with the school administration what instructional strategies are in place to address these gaps, what support services are available for students not yet meeting grade-level standards, and what the school's plan is for improvement.

The school serves a neighborhood in Chicago that is undergoing slow but sustained growth, with the city adding residents for the second year in a row and the metro region continuing to expand. Housing values in the 60634 zip code are modest and rising gradually; median rent is moderate and affordable relative to regional income. The transit access and street-life character typical of Chicago neighborhoods generally applies here.

Chicago Public Schools recently adopted a five-year strategic plan focused on strengthening neighborhood schools rather than emphasizing school choice and selective enrollment. The district also replaced its longtime numeric school ratings with new holistic dashboards in late 2024, and has rolled out a universal PreK-12 curriculum called Skyline available to all district schools. Additionally, the board is transitioning from mayoral appointment to full election, with all seats on the ballot in November 2026.

Locke J serves the grades it claims, but no graduation rate is applicable since it does not extend through twelfth grade. The school participates fully in state testing, with participation rates at or near one hundred percent across all grades measured.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 38% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

Grade 429%

School 29% · District 29%

▼ 8 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 510%

School 10% · District 24% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 620%

School 20% · District 23% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 714%

School 14% · District 27% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 816%

School 16% · District 23% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 331%

School 31% · District 36% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 39% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 43% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 645%

School 45% · District 45%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 740%

School 40% · District 46% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 48% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Science

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 29% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 31% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 2 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.