Highland Elem School, Elgin IL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Highland Elem School

Highland Elementary School serves students from pre-K through sixth grade in Elgin, a mid-sized Fox River Valley city northwest of Chicago with a historic downtown, a multicultural population, and a strong Latino American presence. The school sits within SD U-46, Illinois's second-largest district, which is undergoing major structural and curricular changes driven by a large-scale facility bond approved in 2023. This context shapes what families can expect from Highland in the coming years.

Highland's academic performance, based on the most recent state assessments, reflects substantial challenges that warrant careful consideration. Across math and English language arts, proficiency rates are low across all tested grades. In math, proficiency ranges from roughly one-sixth of students in the upper elementary grades to around one-third in third grade. English language arts shows a similar pattern, with proficiency rates between one-fifth and just over one-third across grades three through six. In science, the school tested only fifth grade, where proficiency was about one-eighth of students. These results position Highland in the bottom quartile among Kane County school districts on overall proficiency. A parent considering this school should have a direct conversation with leadership about what interventions are in place, what the school attributes these gaps to, and what progress trajectories the school is tracking.

The school's student body is diverse. The large majority of students are Hispanic, with smaller populations of Black, white, Asian, and multiracial students as well. The school does not report free-or-reduced-price-lunch rates, special education enrollment, or English learner counts in the available data, so a parent seeking information about those populations should ask the school directly. Enrollment is substantial, with roughly equal representation across the elementary grades.

SD U-46 is making district-wide changes that will affect Highland. Beginning in the current school year, elementary schools in the district extended their school day, a change included in a new contract with teachers. Additionally, the district is piloting new math curriculum (Reveal Math) and literacy approaches. Separately, the district is rebuilding five aging elementary schools; Lowrie, McKinley, and Century Oaks in Elgin are among them. If Highland is among those slated for renovation, that could bring facility improvements but also construction-related disruptions. Parents should confirm the school's place in the district's rebuilding timeline.

The Elgin housing market is moderate in cost relative to region and state, with home values reflecting modest recent appreciation. The area is car-oriented outside downtown, and Elgin itself is growing with new residential construction concentrated in the west side near the Randall Road corridor. Schools in this area serve a working-class and middle-class population with limited data on household income or educational attainment in the available record.

Highland is a standard public elementary school with no magnet, charter, or specialized designation. It offers no special program information in the available data. The school's role is foundational: to build literacy and numeracy skills in early and upper elementary grades. Given the state assessment results, a family enrolling here should view the school as one where close partnership with teachers about individual student progress, supplemental support if needed, and clear communication about academic standing will be essential. State testing data was incomplete for higher grades and science in some cases because those grades are not yet tested statewide.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 331%

School 31% · District 45% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

Grade 421%

School 21% · District 39% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 517%

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

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

Grade 615%

School 15% · District 26% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 321%

School 21% · District 38% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 42% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 48% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Grade 626%

School 26% · District 45% · ▼ 18 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 32% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

This schoolSD U-46, 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.