Acero Chtr-brighton Park Elem Sch, Chicago IL

Original Research by School Decision on Acero Chtr-brighton Park Elem Sch

Acero Charter-Brighton Park Elementary is a charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in the Brighton Park neighborhood on Chicago's Southwest Side. The school is part of the Acero Schools network and operates within Chicago Public Schools District 299. It is a small to mid-sized school organized across nine grade levels, serving a student body that is almost entirely Hispanic, with virtually no racial diversity in its current enrollment.

State test results from the most recent year show weak proficiency across both English language arts and math, the two core subjects assessed by the state. In English language arts, proficiency rates range from low single digits in the earliest grades to roughly mid-range in the upper grades, with the strongest showing in grade 7. Math proficiency is particularly low across grades 3 through 6, with grades 5 and 6 performing especially poorly; proficiency improves somewhat in grades 7 and 8 but remains below grade 3 and 4 levels. In science, assessed in grades 5 and 8, proficiency is very low at both grade levels. Test participation rates were nearly complete, so the results reflect genuine performance rather than missing test data.

These results place the school in the bottom quartile among districts in Cook County on overall proficiency, indicating that academic attainment here is well below the regional median. A parent may want to look further into the school's instructional approach, student support services, and any recent changes aimed at improving these results. It is also worth asking whether the school has specific explanations for the particularly steep drop in math proficiency in grade 5 and what interventions are underway.

The school's enrollment is stable and small enough for the grade span. Demographic data indicates the school is open and serves a wholly Hispanic student population; free-and-reduced-price-lunch rates and special education or English learner enrollment counts were not provided, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about the proportion of students receiving free or reduced meals and the support available for English learners, which is likely a significant population in this neighborhood.

Brighton Park is a historically working-class, predominantly Hispanic neighborhood on the Southwest Side with a long industrial heritage. Housing values in the zip code are modest, and rental costs are similarly accessible compared to many Chicago neighborhoods. The area is less walkable and less dense than many of the city's North Side and downtown areas; transit access comes primarily through CTA bus service and some Metra connectivity. The neighborhood has experienced steady population pressure but remains affordable relative to much of Chicago, making it attractive to families seeking lower housing costs while remaining within the city limits.

As a charter school, Acero-Brighton Park operates under a different governance model than traditional CPS schools and has its own enrollment process. It is not a selective or exam-based charter; the school serves the neighborhood through open enrollment. The charter status means the school has some instructional autonomy and operates under its network's design, which may differ from district-managed schools in curriculum, schedule, or pedagogy. The most recent strategic direction from the Chicago Board of Education emphasizes supporting neighborhood schools and scaling enrollment toward district-managed schools rather than charters, so the charter landscape is in flux; a parent should understand this context when evaluating long-term stability.

Data on attendance, discipline, specific programming, staffing, and graduation outcomes for eighth-graders were not available, so families should ask the school about completion rates for students exiting into high school, as well as about any dual-credit or advanced pathway programs that may exist at or above grade 8.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 315%

School 15% · District 38% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 414%

School 14% · District 29% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 24% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 66%

School 6% · District 23% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

Grade 724%

School 24% · District 27% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 819%

School 19% · District 23% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 38%

School 8% · District 36% · ▼ 29 pts below district

▼ 36 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 425%

School 25% · District 39% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 43% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 624%

School 24% · District 45% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

Grade 746%

School 46% · District 46%

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

Grade 841%

School 41% · District 48% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 29% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 817%

School 17% · District 31% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 9 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.