Dirksen Elem School, Chicago IL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Dirksen Elem School

Dirksen Elem School serves preK through eighth grade and is a regular public school in Chicago's 60656 zip code on the northwest side. With a student population split relatively evenly across its grade bands, the school reflects the broader demographic composition of its area: a majority white enrollment alongside substantial Asian enrollment, with smaller shares of Hispanic, Black, and other students.

The school's academic performance shows a clear pattern across both math and English language arts. In third grade, students demonstrate stronger proficiency, particularly in math. As students progress into the upper elementary and middle grades, proficiency rates generally decline. In math, performance dips notably in the fourth through sixth grades before recovering slightly in seventh grade, then falling again in eighth. English language arts shows somewhat more stability in the upper grades, though performance in the middle grades sits in the low to mid range. Science data, available for fifth and eighth grades only, indicates proficiency rates below half at both tested levels. Overall, the school's proficiency index places it above the midpoint among the county's school sample, suggesting performance that is respectable though not leading within the Cook County district cohort.

Test participation rates are consistently high across subjects and grades, indicating the school is effectively reaching its students for assessment. The Illinois state assessment shifted scoring criteria in 2024-25, so direct year-to-year trend comparison is not available from the data provided.

The school is part of Chicago Public Schools, which is undergoing significant governance and strategic shifts. The district is moving toward a fully elected school board by 2027, has adopted a new strategic plan focused on strengthening neighborhood schools, and has replaced its former numeric school ratings with more comprehensive accountability dashboards. The district has also implemented Skyline, a universal PreK-12 curriculum now available at no cost to all district-managed schools, standardizing instruction in English language arts, math, science, social science, world languages, and arts. These shifts aim to reshape how resources flow to schools and how families navigate options within the system.

The neighborhood surrounding the school sits in Chicago's northwest residential area. Housing values in the broader 60656 zip code have shown modest appreciation, and rental costs remain relatively stable. The Chicago area has resumed population growth in recent years and is continuing to add housing units, though most new construction has concentrated in downtown and lakefront neighborhoods. The city itself remains highly walkable and transit-connected, with extensive CTA rail and bus service, though the northwest side is more residential and less dense than downtown or lakefront areas.

Student enrollment is drawn entirely from Chicago's public school boundaries. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education enrollment, and English learner populations were not available, so a parent may want to look into these characteristics directly with the school to understand what support services and peer composition shape the environment. The school's demographic profile and grade-band span suggest it operates as a traditional neighborhood feeder school serving families in its immediate area.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 369%

School 69% · District 38% · ▲ 31 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 448%

School 48% · District 29% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 24% · ▲ 24 pts above district

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

Grade 632%

School 32% · District 23% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Grade 763%

School 63% · District 27% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 41 pts above county median

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 23% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 348%

School 48% · District 36% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 441%

School 41% · District 39% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 43% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 646%

School 46% · District 45% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 766%

School 66% · District 46% · ▲ 20 pts above district

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

Grade 856%

School 56% · District 48% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Science

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 29% · ▲ 15 pts above district

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

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 31% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 16 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.