The top reported proficiency rate is 74% in English language arts. The lowest is 54% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Jr High School
Jefferson Jr High School serves grades six through eight in Naperville and sits within Naperville CUSD 203, a district serving a well-resourced suburb about 28 miles west of Chicago. The school's enrollment of roughly 800 students breaks across three grades, with sixth grade the largest cohort.
In English Language Arts, Jefferson shows strong proficiency. Across grades six, seven, and eight, the school reports proficiency rates in the mid-to-high seventies, indicating that roughly three-quarters to more of tested students meet or exceed state benchmarks in reading and writing. Sixth-grade ELA proficiency is around three-quarters; seventh and eighth grades cluster in the low-to-mid seventies. These are solid results for a public middle school.
Mathematics proficiency is more uneven. Sixth-grade math proficiency sits below half, which represents a notable dip. Performance rises substantially in seventh grade to approach or exceed three-fifths proficiency, then dips modestly in eighth grade to just above half. This pattern, with a weak sixth-grade foundation and stronger performance in seventh, may warrant attention from families trying to gauge where the school's math instruction is strongest and whether sixth graders need additional support.
In science, the school reports eighth-grade proficiency around two-thirds, based on recent testing. Fifth-grade science data was not available, likely because fifth grade is not within the school's grade band.
Compared to other districts in DuPage County, Jefferson's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint, meaning it outperforms more than half of other county school buildings in tested subjects and grades. This is a meaningful indicator of academic strength relative to its peer group.
The student body is diverse. White students make up roughly half the enrollment; Hispanic and Asian students each represent substantial shares at roughly one-quarter and one-sixth respectively, with smaller numbers of Black, multiracial, and Native American students. Specific numbers for free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and special education or English learner enrollment were not provided in available data.
State assessment data for earlier elementary grades served by the district were not available, likely because Jefferson serves only middle grades and those younger grades are taught at other schools. Trend data showing academic movement over time, graduation rates (which do not apply to a junior high), and chronic absenteeism rates were also not available in the sources reviewed.
The district is actively reshaping its instructional footprint. Recently approved changes include an expanded English Learner program at Jefferson and a reimagined junior high elective course structure beginning in the 2025-26 school year, both intended to broaden student choice and support. The district is also undertaking a major K-12 literacy curriculum refresh, replacing materials that had not been substantially updated in more than a decade, which will touch reading and language arts instruction at the school.
Naperville itself is a large, growing suburban community with a strong civic anchor in its downtown Riverwalk district, world-class parks, and Metra commuter rail access to Chicago. Housing values in the area are substantial, with median home values in the mid-to-high four-hundreds and monthly rents in the low-to-mid twenty-hundreds, reflecting a market positioned above state and national benchmarks. The town is experiencing modest growth through new residential development and infill projects, including some downtown construction near the Metra station.
A parent considering Jefferson should weigh the school's strength in language arts, its position above the county median in overall proficiency, and the district's active investment in curriculum and program expansion. The sixth-grade mathematics proficiency warrants a closer look; the school would be a reasonable place to ask whether there are targeted supports in place for students who enter below proficiency and whether seventh-grade performance suggests that instruction improves once students reach that level.
See more original research from School Decision →