The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in Science. The lowest is 17% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on A O Marshall Elem School
A O Marshall Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Joliet, a large suburban city roughly southwest of Chicago. The school sits in a neighborhood that is predominantly Hispanic, with substantial Black enrollment as well. The student composition reflects the demographics of the surrounding area.
On state testing, A O Marshall's results show consistent challenges across both mathematics and English language arts. In the most recent state assessments, math proficiency across the grades tested ranged from low to mid-range, with fifth grade at roughly a fifth of students reaching proficiency and third and fourth grades near or slightly below that level. English language arts showed even steeper proficiency rates in third and fourth grades, each in single digits, though fifth grade improved noticeably to around two-fifths of students meeting the standard. Science proficiency in fifth grade was around a quarter of students. When compared to districts across Will County, A O Marshall's overall proficiency index sits at the bottom quartile. State assessment scoring standards were recalibrated this year, so direct year-to-year comparison is not possible, but the picture across subjects and grade levels is one where the school's academic results are well below where families would typically want them to be.
The school enrollment sits around a mid-range size for an elementary school of this type, with roughly balanced numbers across grades, slightly higher enrollment in third grade. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and special education and English learner populations were not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the composition of the student body by economic status and language background, which can shape both classroom dynamics and the range of supports in place.
The 2023 bond referendum that Joliet PSD 86 passed with strong voter support included district-wide facility upgrades and two replacement junior highs scheduled to open for the 2026-2027 school year, as well as an expansion at Thomas Jefferson Elementary and security, accessibility, and technology improvements across the district. This signal of investment in buildings and infrastructure reflects district commitment to addressing long-standing capacity and aging-facility concerns that families in the area weigh when choosing where to enroll. The two new junior high buildings are meant to alleviate overcrowding, and the expansion of Jefferson Elementary addresses enrollment pressure in the elementary grades.
Housing in Will County is moderately priced compared to state benchmarks, and the rental market is stable. This is a working and middle-class area with retail and logistics corridors, a downtown redevelopment effort underway, and growth in west-side residential subdivisions.
A parent visiting A O Marshall would be entering a school where reading and math proficiency are notably below state typical, and would want to understand from school staff what academic supports, instructional strategies, and assessment data are guiding literacy and numeracy work. The low results are a fact to act on, either through in-depth conversation with teachers and administration about the school's priorities and approach, or through consideration of whether another school or district may be a better fit for the child's needs.
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