Waters Elem School, Chicago IL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Waters Elem School

Waters Elementary School is a regular public school serving PreK through 8th grade in the Ravenswood neighborhood on Chicago's North Side. It is part of Chicago Public Schools, the nation's third-largest district, and draws from a diverse residential community that includes a substantial white majority alongside Hispanic, mixed-race, Asian, and Black families. The school sits in a neighborhood setting where housing values have risen steadily and rents are climbing, reflecting a broader pattern of growth and stabilization in Chicago after years of decline.

The school's academic profile centers on mathematics and English language arts, with state testing data across grades 3 through 8. In math, Waters shows uneven performance across grade levels. Third and 4th graders achieve proficiency rates in the high 60s, while 5th grade dips slightly lower. Sixth grade represents a notable dip, and 8th grade sits at the midpoint. Seventh grade stands out as the strongest cohort in math. English language arts follows a similar pattern but with somewhat more consistency in the upper 60s and low 70s, except for a noticeably lower result in 8th grade ELA. Science testing is limited by grade: 5th graders show proficiency in the low 60s, while 8th graders perform substantially higher, at about 71 percent proficient.

When compared against the other district-managed schools and charters in Cook County, Waters falls in the top quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. This positions it among stronger performers in its region, though the school's results vary meaningfully by grade and subject. A parent may want to look into the specific grade-level instruction and math support in 6th and 8th grades, where the numbers suggest some students are not reaching proficiency. The school demonstrates near-universal participation in state assessments, with rates exceeding 98 percent across most grades, showing strong engagement with the testing system itself.

The school enrolls a small-to-mid-sized student body that spans the full elementary and middle range, with roughly even distribution across most grade levels and a slightly smaller 7th grade cohort. Specific counts for students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, English learners, and students with disabilities were not available in the data provided. Without those figures, a fuller picture of the school's student support infrastructure cannot be drawn from this record.

Waters sits within a neighborhood that is actively developing. Chicago's broader housing market has grown more balanced after years of decline, with modest price appreciation and a shrinking inventory. The North Side community where the school is located reflects the city's overall shift toward renewed investment in residential neighborhoods. Rents have risen noticeably, and the market has cooled somewhat from peak activity, suggesting a maturing, established neighborhood rather than a hot growth zone.

The district itself is undergoing several structural changes relevant to any parent considering Waters. Most notably, the Chicago Board of Education is transitioning from mayoral appointment to full election; all 21 seats will be decided by voters in November 2026, giving families a direct voice in school governance for the first time. The district has also adopted a new strategic plan, "Together We Rise," that emphasizes neighborhood schools and signals a move away from the school-choice and selective-enrollment model that has long defined CPS. Additionally, CPS rolled out Skyline, a district-developed PreK-12 curriculum available at no school-level cost, standardizing instructional materials across the system. These shifts affect how the district allocates resources and sets priorities, making them relevant to long-term planning for families.

Waters' assessment data shows solid overall performance relative to its peers in the county, with particular strength in lower elementary grades and some variance in the middle grades. The school participates fully in state testing and maintains high participation rates. For a family choosing a neighborhood school in this part of Chicago, Waters represents a school with above-average regional standing and the stability of a district-managed institution embedded in an increasingly invested residential community.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 368%

School 68% · District 38% · ▲ 30 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 466%

School 66% · District 29% · ▲ 37 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 564%

School 64% · District 24% · ▲ 41 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 43 pts above county median

Grade 657%

School 57% · District 23% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

Grade 775%

School 75% · District 27% · ▲ 48 pts above district

▲ 47 pts above state median · ▲ 54 pts above county median

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 23% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 368%

School 68% · District 36% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 474%

School 74% · District 39% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 569%

School 69% · District 43% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 671%

School 71% · District 45% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 767%

School 67% · District 46% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 864%

School 64% · District 48% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Science

Grade 563%

School 63% · District 29% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Grade 871%

School 71% · District 31% · ▲ 40 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 45 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.