The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Black Hawk Elem School
Black Hawk Elementary is a mid-sized public school serving about elementary grades through fifth in Glendale Heights, a residential suburb about 26 to 30 miles west of downtown Chicago in DuPage County. The student body reflects the village's demographic diversity: just over half the enrollment is Hispanic or Latino, roughly a fifth is Black, and meaningful shares are Asian and white. Housing in the immediate area consists largely of mid-century split-levels and ranches, with median single-family prices running below the national median, making this a more affordable corner of the Chicago region.
The most direct indicator here is state test performance. On the most recent Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), Black Hawk's results are notably low across the grades tested. In third-grade math, roughly a quarter of students reached proficiency; in fourth-grade math that dipped to roughly a quarter; in fifth-grade math, again roughly a quarter. English language arts showed similar patterns: third-grade proficiency was about a third, fourth-grade just over a quarter, and fifth-grade roughly two-fifths. Science testing in fifth grade registered about a fifth of students at proficiency. Across subjects and grades where the school has reported data, the overall proficiency sits in the bottom quartile among DuPage County districts. These are not strong results, and a parent would want to have direct conversations with school leadership about what support structures are in place and what trajectory the school is on.
The school is part of Marquardt School District 15, which in December 2024 adopted a new strategic plan for 2025 through 2030. The district also operates on a recurring schedule of six half-day school improvement days per year, on select Wednesdays and Thursdays, where students receive roughly three hours of instruction and staff use the balance for planning. This is a standing commitment going forward, so childcare and family logistics should account for it.
The location itself is firmly car-oriented. Glendale Heights is shaped by major east-west arterials—Army Trail Road and North Avenue—and daily life runs along commercial corridors and through residential areas rather than a walkable downtown. Camera Park, a 64-acre village anchor with playgrounds, trails, and recreational fields, is the central civic asset. The school sits at the standard crossroads of suburban routine: private vehicles, nearby shopping centers, and commute patterns to Chicago via Interstate 290.
Enrollment is stable, at about 530 students. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the share of students qualifying for meal assistance and what other economic-support programs exist. No information on special education or English learner populations was available either. State testing data covers only grades three through five; the school also enrolls pre-K and kindergarten through second grade, but those grades are not state-tested.
Black Hawk is a regular public elementary school with no special program designation. It is part of a small district—just five schools in total—which means families see the same strategic direction and resource decisions applied across all buildings. For a parent weighing this school, the test results are the leading piece of evidence and warrant direct inquiry into the school's improvement efforts, instructional approach, and support for students who are not yet proficient.
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