Sherlock Elem School, Cicero IL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Sherlock Elem School

Sherlock Elem School is a full PreK through sixth-grade elementary school in Cicero, located in Cook County. The school serves a small student body drawn almost entirely from Cicero's Hispanic community, which comprises roughly four-fifths of the town's population. The school sits in a densely built neighborhood in an industrial-era inner suburb just west of Chicago, where most errands can be accomplished on foot and transit access via the CTA Pink Line is readily available.

Academic performance across tested grades shows proficiency rates that are substantially below the median among Cook County districts. In English language arts, results are uneven: third-grade proficiency stands at a low point, while fifth and sixth graders show somewhat higher rates. Math proficiency is similarly weak across the grades, with fifth grade performing lowest. The school did report science proficiency for fifth grade only. These results reflect the overall challenge facing the school in moving students to meet state standards. A parent may want to look into what specific supports the school is offering to address these gaps, as well as what trajectory the school expects over the coming years.

The district has made two meaningful instructional commitments that affect all elementary schools, including Sherlock. In 2021, District 99 shifted to structured literacy with explicit, systematic instruction in phonics and decoding. The district also adopted the Professional Learning Communities model, training staff to collaborate around student data and refine instruction through inquiry cycles. These are system-wide changes meant to strengthen how reading and math are taught. The district's 2024 report card credited gains to these efforts, so they represent an intentional direction from leadership.

The school's enrollment is small, and the population is demographically concentrated. Nearly all students are Hispanic; enrollment includes only a handful of students of other backgrounds. Data on free-and-reduced-price lunch eligibility was not available, as were figures on English learners and students with IEPs, so a parent should ask the school directly about the share of students receiving these supports.

Cicero itself is a fully built-out town with no major new housing development underway. Median home values have risen modestly in recent years, and the housing market is fairly balanced with moderate supply. Rents have risen at a pace slightly faster than home prices. The town economy is anchored by manufacturing, retail, and services, with major employers including the school district itself, Morton College, metal casting and extrusion, bakery operations, and logistics hubs. The commercial spine along Cermak Road is busy with local businesses, bakeries, and Spanish-language storefronts reflecting the town's cultural fabric. The Cicero Public Library, parks, and CTA transit connections are embedded within the dense residential neighborhoods rather than at a distance.

For families in Cicero seeking an elementary option in the neighborhood, Sherlock offers PreK through sixth grade in a walkable location with good transit access. The school is part of a district making deliberate moves in literacy and instructional collaboration, though the current proficiency data shows significant room for improvement. What the school provides in terms of specialized programs, after-school supports, or enrichment would be worth asking about directly.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 36% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 29% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 18%

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 622%

School 22% · District 22%

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

English language arts

Grade 318%

School 18% · District 28% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 28% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 37% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 643%

School 43% · District 40% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 25% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

This schoolCicero SD 99, 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.