The top reported proficiency rate is 93% in English language arts. The lowest is 58% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Brooks College Prep Academy Hs
Brooks College Prep Academy is a midsize public school serving grades seven through twelve, with enrollment distributed fairly evenly across the high school grades and a smaller middle school cohort. The school sits in the 60628 zip code on the South Side of Chicago, in an area where housing values are modest and rents have risen in recent years. The school's student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic population and very small shares of other groups. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available, so a full economic profile is incomplete.
The school's test results show a split pattern. In seventh grade English language arts, proficiency is notably high. Eighth grade proficiency is similarly strong in both reading and science. In seventh grade math, proficiency is solid. However, eighth grade math proficiency drops sharply. State testing results for grades three through six do not appear in the data, likely because this school did not report those grades for state assessment in the most recent year, though the school does serve seventh and eighth grades. No high school state exam results were provided, meaning the school's academic performance in its grades nine through twelve population is not visible in state testing data. Illinois state assessment cut scores changed this year, so year-to-year trend comparisons are not yet reliable.
When proficiency results are averaged across the grades and subjects reported, the school lands in the top quartile among Cook County school districts. That standing reflects strength in middle-grade English language arts and eighth grade science, tempered by the significant drop in eighth grade mathematics. A parent weighing this school should look closely at what the school does to support math progression in grade eight and how high school achievement is tracked, since publicly reported state tests do not cover the nine through twelve grades this school serves.
Graduation data was not available for the school. Without that information, a family cannot see what share of students earn diplomas on time or measure the school's track record in moving students from enrollment to degree completion.
Brooks is a regular public school operating under Chicago Public Schools District 299. Chicago itself is a large, dense city with extensive public transit, a neighborhood-based school model, and diverse residential and commercial character across nearly eighty community areas. The South Side encompasses many distinct neighborhoods, and the school sits integrated within its residential block. Chicago has experienced steady growth in recent years and is seeing increased housing development, though median home values remain substantially lower than national benchmarks. Rents have risen faster than incomes, placing moderate-income renters under affordability pressure.
The district is undergoing structural and curricular changes. A new fully-elected school board takes office in 2027, shifting governance from mayoral appointment. The district has moved away from its previous ratings system toward holistic dashboards that measure school quality across more than test scores alone. A district-wide PreK-12 curriculum, called Skyline, is available to all schools to standardize instructional materials. The district has also publicly backed away from its decades-long embrace of school choice and selective enrollment, intending instead to strengthen neighborhood schools. How these shifts play out in practice at Brooks specifically would be worth asking the school about directly, since the strategy is still new.
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