The top reported proficiency rate is 34% in English language arts. The lowest is 9% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Art in Motion Charter School
Art in Motion Charter School is a grades-seven-through-twelve charter school located on Chicago's South Side in the zip code 60649. The school serves a student body that is overwhelmingly Black, with a small Hispanic population and students identifying with two or more races represented in single digits. Enrollment across the school is relatively small for its grade span, with the largest cohorts in grades nine and ten, and smaller populations in grades seven and eight.
State testing data for the school is sparse. Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) results are available only for grades seven and eight in math and English language arts, and grade eight in science; all other grade levels reported no data. Among the grades tested, math proficiency is very low. Grade seven math proficiency sits in the single digits, as does grade eight. English language arts proficiency is somewhat stronger, with grade seven at approximately one-third proficient and grade eight just above that. Science proficiency in grade eight is around one-fifth. Across all tested measures, participation rates are high, hovering near ninety percent or better, suggesting that low proficiency is not a testing-day attendance problem. Testing data for grades nine through twelve is not available; state assessments do not cover those grade levels, and the school's results on college-entrance or end-of-course exams were not provided in the available data.
When compared to the universe of districts in Cook County, Art in Motion's overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades falls in the bottom quartile. Graduation rate and chronic absenteeism data were not available, so a parent cannot assess college and career readiness outcomes or student engagement patterns from the materials at hand. A parent may want to look into those metrics with the school directly, as they speak to student trajectory and school stability.
The school is a charter, which means it operates with some autonomy from the Chicago Public Schools district structure while remaining publicly funded and open to students without a separate application or entrance exam. Beyond the charter designation, little information was provided about the school's program focus, curriculum emphasis, or distinctive academic pathway. The name suggests an arts concentration, but the available data do not specify what academic or arts programs are available, what career or dual-credit pathways exist, or how the school differentiates itself within the Chicago charter landscape.
Chicago itself is a dense, mixed-use city with a walkable built environment, extensive public transit, and a diversified economy. The South Side, where the school is located, forms part of the city's vast patchwork of residential neighborhoods, each with its own character. Housing values in the immediate area are modest relative to city and state averages, and rents have been rising. The city is in the midst of renewed population growth after a period of decline, though growth has concentrated in downtown and along the North Lakefront rather than on the South Side. The Chicago Public Schools district itself is in transition, moving from a mayor-appointed board to a fully elected one by 2027 and shifting strategic emphasis back toward neighborhood schools after years of school-choice policies. A new accountability dashboard launched in late 2024 replaced numeric school ratings, changing how families evaluate schools.
Art in Motion's academic standing, based on the available state data, is a serious concern that warrants direct conversation with school leadership about instructional approach, staffing, student support structures, and longer-term outcomes beyond state testing. The school's small size, charter status, and likely arts focus may appeal to families seeking a different learning environment than a large neighborhood school, but the proficiency results suggest that the arts offering does not currently coincide with strong academic attainment in tested subjects. Families considering this school should seek clarity on how the school measures and supports student progress, what the graduation and college-enrollment pathways look like, and whether recent or planned changes to teaching or curriculum are underway.
See more original research from School Decision →