The top reported proficiency rate is 65% in English language arts. The lowest is 41% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Sward Elem School
Sward Elementary is a regular public school serving pre-K through fifth grade in Oak Lawn, Illinois, part of Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123. The school enrolls a modest population of students across its seven grade bands, drawing a diverse student body: roughly half white, about two-fifths Hispanic, and smaller shares of Black and Asian students, with a very small number of American Indian students.
State proficiency data from the most recent year shows a school working to close achievement gaps, particularly in upper elementary grades. In math, third-graders performed above the midpoint on state assessments, while fourth-graders achieved at roughly the midpoint, and fifth-graders performed substantially below. English language arts results show a different shape: third, fourth, and fifth graders all achieved in the middle-to-upper range, with fifth grade performing strongest. Science proficiency in fifth grade falls notably below both math and ELA for that cohort. All students took the assessments, so participation was full. These patterns suggest the school faces a particular math-achievement challenge that accelerates in the upper elementary grades, while reading instruction appears to be a relative strength. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, especially regarding the fifth-grade math decline and what supports exist for students who do not meet proficiency.
Positioned among the school districts in Cook County on overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades, Sward sits above the median, indicating performance in line with stronger-performing districts in the county rather than struggling ones.
The district has recently made two shifts that touch every family: it opened a dedicated Early Learning Center at a renovated building on 93rd Street and Keeler Avenue, offering half-day pre-K with morning and afternoon sessions and a new family resource hub that partners with the public library, children's museum, Head Start, and the park district. This reflects a real district commitment to early-childhood access. The district has also adopted Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA), a content-rich, knowledge-building reading curriculum, across all elementary schools. That shift shapes how reading is taught and learned from the earliest grades onward.
Oak Lawn itself is a Cook County village about 15 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, with a visibly mixed character: residential neighborhoods of brick split-levels and raised ranches alongside busy commercial corridors and a rebuilt downtown centered on the Oak Lawn Patriot Metra station. The community has a substantial Arab-American population and a notable Mediterranean food scene. The village hosts a network of parks, public library, and strong transit access via Metra and Pace bus, making it livable without a car along the main corridors, though everyday life in the residential pockets where most families live centers on driving. Housing prices in the area have appreciated modestly and remain well below Chicago medians, and the rental market is active and stable. The area's employment base centers on health care (anchored by Advocate Christ Medical Center), retail trade, and education.
The school appears to fit families seeking a neighborhood elementary school with diverse peer composition, solid reading instruction, and access to a community with modest housing costs and reasonable transit options. The math-proficiency pattern in upper grades is a real feature to understand before enrolling.
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