The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in English language arts. The lowest is 55% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln Elem School
Lincoln Elementary School is a traditional K-5 public school in Evanston serving a student body of roughly four hundred, with enrollment distributed across the six grades from kindergarten through fifth. The school sits in a walkable, dense residential neighborhood on the North Shore of Chicago, in a community anchored by Northwestern University, healthcare systems, and downtown commercial life.
The school's academic profile shows uneven performance across tested grades and subjects. In third-grade math, proficiency runs substantially higher than in fourth, where it drops noticeably. Fifth-grade math hovers near fifty percent, while fifth-grade English language arts performs better. Third-grade English language arts lags considerably behind fourth and fifth grades, which both show stronger results. Fifth-grade science sits in the middle range. Across all tested grades where data is available, proficiency rates cluster below what would indicate robust attainment, with the exception of fourth-grade English language arts and fifth-grade English language arts, which reach into the upper sixties and low seventies. The school's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among the county's districts, a meaningful but not dominant position. A parent reviewing these results should look at how the school explains the dips in fourth-grade math and third-grade English, and what instructional strategies or supports are in place to move more students toward higher performance as they progress through the grades.
The student population is substantially white, with meaningful representation from Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students, and a small Asian enrollment. Racial composition data for free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and English learner status was not available, so parents seeking clarity on the share of students receiving subsidized meals or English language support should ask the school directly. This matters for understanding peer composition and what interventions the school may be running.
The broader district context shapes what Lincoln offers. Evanston CCSD 65 is closing two schools at the end of this academic year, including the district's only fully bilingual school, and opening a new neighborhood elementary school in the Fifth Ward for the 2026-27 school year. Boundary changes are coming. The district replaced its reading curriculum in 2023, moving away from Lucy Calkins to a more foundational, phonics-informed approach, a significant pedagogical shift that will reshape early literacy instruction across all elementary classrooms. In middle school math, the district eliminated accelerated placement testing and moved all students into a common advanced sequence, a choice that removes traditional tracks but also removes some acceleration options for advanced learners. Property tax levies have risen substantially in recent years, and the district faces a structural deficit; a tax referendum for March 2026 is being considered, and program stability over the next several years may depend on its outcome.
Evanston itself is a mixed urban-suburban place of substantial character, dense in parts and tree-lined, home to Northwestern's campus and a notably walkable downtown core served by Purple Line and Metra transit. The housing market is active; median home value is moderate by metro Chicago standards, and rental costs are in the mid-range. The city has been roughly flat in population growth but is pursuing significant housing development to add thousands of units, which will likely increase school-age populations over time.
The school sits within this district moment and in a town with strong civic anchors: parks, libraries, community centers, and transit access that make car-light living feasible. For families choosing Lincoln, it is a school with mixed academic performance, an actively changing district, and a supportive urban setting. Parents weighing enrollment should understand the boundary shifts ahead, ask about the literacy curriculum implementation and how it is affecting early-grade reading progress, and clarify what English learner and special education services are available.
See more original research from School Decision →