The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in English language arts. The lowest is 34% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Field Stevenson Elem School
Field Stevenson Elem School serves third through fifth graders in Forest Park, a compact village west of Chicago anchored by transit and a walkable downtown. The school is one of four in Forest Park School District 91 after the 2022 consolidation of Grant-White Intermediate Elementary into this building at Beloit Avenue, a footprint change that reshaped the district's elementary roster and concentrated the school's enrollment. The student body is substantially diverse, with roughly equal shares of Black and Hispanic students and smaller populations of white and multiracial students. The school serves around small-to-mid-sized elementary cohorts in each of its three grades.
On the Illinois Assessment of Readiness in 2024-25, the school's proficiency picture is mixed and shows a notable downward trend across grade levels. Third-grade students performed better than the two grades above them, with roughly comparable proficiency in math and reading. By fifth grade, math proficiency dropped sharply, while reading held more steady. Science proficiency in fifth grade also lagged behind reading. Overall, the school's proficiency index sits below the midpoint among districts in Cook County, suggesting the school is navigating academic challenges that may warrant parent investigation into instructional supports, intervention programs and the district's curricular approach. A parent may want to ask directly about what literacy and numeracy supports are in place, particularly for fifth graders, and how the consolidation has affected classroom resources and teacher continuity.
The district is in motion. Forest Park SD 91 closed one school in 2022 and is building a new 2026-2030 strategic plan centered on equity and achievement. The district has introduced STEAM curriculum emphasis and an AI pilot, reflecting a pedagogical direction toward problem-solving and technology integration. These initiatives suggest active professional development and a willingness to experiment, though a parent would benefit from understanding how these shifts translate into daily instruction and assessment in the classroom.
Forest Park itself is a village of stable, modest size with strong CTA Blue Line access and a revitalized Madison Street main street. Housing is moderate in cost relative to the Chicago region, rental supply mixes older apartment buildings and updated units, and the community is animated by civic anchors like the library and public pool. The village's identity is shaped as much by its five historic cemeteries as by its living residents, giving it a quiet, established feel despite urban-suburban walkability. Growth pressure has centered on transit reform rather than large new residential construction.
For a family considering Field Stevenson, the school offers neighborhood-level proximity and connection to a compact civic center, but the academic data suggests a school working through proficiency gaps that warrant clear understanding of how the district intends to close them.
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