The top reported proficiency rate is 18% in English language arts. The lowest is 12% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Gwendolyn Brooks Elem Sch
Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in DeKalb, a mid-sized university city anchored by Northern Illinois University. The school sits in a residential area and enrolls a student body that is majority Black, with substantial shares of white, Hispanic, and multiracial students. The enrollment is stable and moderate in size for an elementary school serving these grades.
The school's academic performance on state assessments presents a significant challenge that parents evaluating the school should understand clearly. In math, the proficiency rate for third graders stands well below what is typical for schools in the region. Fourth graders show a modestly higher rate, while fifth graders reach a somewhat higher level, though all three grades remain in the bottom quartile when compared to other schools in DeKalb County. In English language arts, the picture is similar: third graders show the lowest proficiency, fourth graders perform at roughly the same low level, and fifth graders reach the highest performance of the school's tested grades at just under one-third meeting the state's proficient standard. Science proficiency in fifth grade mirrors the math results for that grade. The test data carries a note that Illinois adjusted the proficiency cutoff scores across subjects in 2024-25, making direct year-to-year comparisons difficult, but the current snapshot reflects that across tested grades and subjects, Gwendolyn Brooks' proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among the district's and county's schools.
A parent may want to look into further with the school how the transition from kindergarten through second grade, where state testing does not occur, prepares students for the assessed grades, and what interventions or support structures are in place for students entering the tested grades where results have been consistently low. Understanding the school's approach to early literacy and numeracy, and whether additional resources are directed toward students who arrive below grade level, would provide important context for families considering enrollment.
The school serves DeKalb's neighborhoods directly and is part of DeKalb CUSD 428, which has been undergoing significant administrative and structural changes. Under the district's "Vision For28" plan, fifth grade at some schools, including potentially this school depending on implementation phase, may shift to a self-contained two-teacher model where students have two dedicated core-subject instructors. The district also approved a property-tax levy increase for 2025 that is expected to raise school tax bills for homeowners in 2026, driven by higher health-insurance costs and loss of state transportation reimbursement. A countywide school facility sales-tax referendum that the district had championed failed at the ballot in November 2024, and the board declined to place it back on the April 2025 ballot, meaning families do not have the property-tax relief or debt reduction that had been promised through that mechanism.
Housing in the DeKalb zip code is relatively affordable compared to state and national mediums, and the rental market is active. The community itself is in active growth, particularly on its south side with data-center and logistics development, and downtown has renewed investment activity through a tax-increment-financing district. DeKalb offers walkable downtown neighborhoods and parks, though outside those areas it functions as a typical auto-oriented small Midwestern city. Public transit includes fixed-route bus service, bike paths, and a route to the Metra station in nearby Elburn for train access to Chicago.
For a family drawn to DeKalb's character and housing affordability, Gwendolyn Brooks represents a neighborhood school with a diverse peer group. However, the very low state assessment results across multiple grades and subjects are a fact that prospective families need to weigh carefully in deciding whether the school's location and community fit outweigh the academic performance concerns, or whether they wish to explore other school options in the district or region.
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