The top reported proficiency rate is 59% in English language arts. The lowest is 25% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Forest Park Middle School
Forest Park Middle School serves grades six through eight in a compact village about nine miles west of downtown Chicago. The school draws from Forest Park, a densely populated community of about 14,000 residents anchored by a walkable Madison Street downtown and defined by strong transit links—the CTA Blue Line terminal and a connected bus center sit within the village. Median home prices in the area hover in the low-to-mid hundreds of thousands, and rents are moderate for the region. The immediate setting is urban-suburban: residential blocks mixed with commercial corridors, civic anchors like the public library and aquatic center, and the Illinois Prairie Path nearby.
The school itself is small, with an enrollment of roughly 180 students across the three middle grades. The student body is majority Black, with substantial Hispanic representation and smaller shares of white and multiracial students; a very small number of Asian students attend. Free-and-reduced-price-lunch data and English learner enrollment figures were not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the share of students qualifying for meal support or receiving English language services.
State assessment data available for the school covers math and English language arts across grades six through eight, and science in grade eight. The results are mixed, with performance varying notably by grade and subject. In math, sixth graders show proficiency rates in the low twenties, seventh graders reach nearly thirty percent, and eighth graders sit again in the low twenties. English language arts tells a different story: sixth-grade proficiency is around forty-five percent, seventh grade climbs to about fifty-two percent, and eighth grade jumps to roughly seventy-eight percent, which is a substantial jump. In science, eighth-grade proficiency is in the mid-to-high fifties. Across all tested areas and grades, the school's overall proficiency index positions it below the midpoint among districts in Cook County. State assessment rules changed after last year's tests, making year-to-year trend comparison difficult, so these are snapshots rather than trajectory measures.
The sharp rise in eighth-grade English language arts performance stands out as a strength and may reflect either more effective instruction at that level, a change in student composition as the grade advances, or both. The lower math proficiency across all three grades, particularly in grades six and eight, represents a soft spot parents may want to explore further with the school—asking what support exists for struggling math students and what interventions the school uses to shore up fundamentals. The data does not yet show whether these grade-level patterns persist year to year or whether they reflect this cohort specifically.
The school belongs to Forest Park SD 91, a four-school district that serves this same compact village. The district underwent consolidation in 2022, closing one intermediate school and merging its students into another. District leadership has adopted a strategic framework emphasizing equity and achievement, with curriculum initiatives in STEAM and an artificial intelligence pilot rolled out to classrooms. A new five-year strategic plan is under development, so the instructional direction will likely clarify further in the coming year.
The school's location at 925 Beloit Avenue places it in the same walkable village footprint where the public library and civic functions are concentrated, rather than on an isolated campus. That urban-suburban setting and the district's recent emphasis on family engagement create a context in which school, home, and community are relatively close and accessible.
A parent considering Forest Park Middle School should look closely at the math proficiency numbers and ask how the school supports students working below grade level there. The strong eighth-grade English language arts result is encouraging and worth understanding: is that grade-level strength sustained, or is it specific to this year? The school is small, serves a diverse peer group, and operates in a transit-connected, stable community where housing remains moderately affordable relative to regional benchmarks. For families seeking a neighborhood middle school in an urban-suburban setting with visible staff emphasis on equity and modern pedagogy, the school offers that pathway; the test results suggest some students thrive while others struggle, so the fit depends on your child's academic readiness and the specific supports you want in place.
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