Northwest Elem School, La Salle IL

Original Research by School Decision on Northwest Elem School

Northwest Elem School serves students from pre-K through fifth grade in La Salle, a small city in north-central Illinois positioned at the crossroads of I-39 and I-80. The school is part of La Salle ESD 122 and enrolls a student body of roughly even balance between white students and those who identify as Hispanic, Latino, Black, or two or more races. A substantial share of the enrollment comes from Spanish-speaking households. The specific count of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch was not available.

The school's academic results show a consistent pattern across tested subjects and grades. In English language arts, proficiency rates range from the mid-thirties to low-forties across grades three through five. Mathematics proficiency is lower, clustering in the low-twenties across the same grades. Fifth-grade science proficiency sits at the same level as English language arts at that grade. When placed against the other districts in LaSalle County, Northwest Elem's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile. The school tests students at full or near-full participation rates, so the results reflect actual performance rather than testing gaps.

A parent may want to look into the specific math instruction approaches and any interventions the school has in place, given that math proficiency is notably lower than reading proficiency. It would also be worth asking whether the school has identified particular grade levels or student subgroups that need additional support.

The school draws from a community with modest housing values and rents. La Salle itself is a historic city with a compact downtown district centered on restaurants, shops, and civic life around the I&M Canal Visitor Center and Hegeler Carus Mansion. The broader region has experienced flat to slightly declining population, though the city has pursued redevelopment through tax increment financing districts and facade grants aimed at supporting new housing and revitalization. The housing market shows steady demand despite modest supply.

State testing data was available for grades three, four, and five; the school's grade band also includes pre-K, kindergarten, and second grade, which are not tested at the state level. No multi-year trend data was available to show whether proficiency has changed over time. No information was available on the district's strategic priorities, staffing levels, or specific academic programs beyond regular instruction.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 318%

School 18% · District 18%

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 22%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 21%

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 337%

School 37% · District 37%

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

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 42%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 37% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Science

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 37% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · even with county median

This schoolLa Salle ESD 122, 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.