Barack Obama Sch of Ldership, Chicago Heights IL

Original Research by School Decision on Barack Obama Sch of Ldership

Barack Obama School of Leadership and STEM serves fourth and fifth grade students in Chicago Heights as part of Park Forest School District 163. The school has a modest enrollment and sits in a diverse, historically industrial south suburban community about a half-hour drive from downtown Chicago.

The student body is predominantly African American, with smaller Hispanic and multiracial populations and very few white and Asian students. Student demographic data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and English learner status was not available. The school's name signals a focus on STEM and leadership development, though specific course and program details were not provided in available sources.

State testing data from the most recent school year shows uneven performance. In English language arts, fourth graders met proficiency at a modest rate, while fifth graders performed substantially better, reaching proficiency at about a midpoint level. In mathematics, proficiency was low across both tested grades, with fourth graders at a particularly low proficiency rate and fifth graders somewhat higher but still well below the midline. Science results for fifth graders came in at a low-to-moderate proficiency level. Grade 3 testing data were not reported, and results for grades 6 and above appear to reflect either no students enrolled in those grades at this school or a shift in grade configuration. A parent may want to clarify the school's actual grade span with administration.

Compared to the broader population of districts in Cook County, Barack Obama School's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile, meaning proficiency rates here are notably lower than the median among county schools. This is a straightforward fact about where this school sits academically relative to its neighbors, not a ceiling on what the school can achieve.

Chicago Heights itself is a mixed-use suburb with an industrial heritage dating to the 1890s. It is car-dependent, served primarily by Pace bus rather than commuter rail, and dominated by vintage housing stock from the early and mid-twentieth century, including ranch homes, bungalows, and split-level designs. The population has declined in recent years. Recent development includes an affordable housing project for veterans downtown and some industrial expansion, but new residential growth in established neighborhoods has been modest. The downtown retains a civic core with a public library, and residents have access to Thorn Creek's trail system.

Housing values in the Chicago Heights zip code are below the state median and have declined slightly year over year. Rents have increased modestly. Affordability is reasonably strong by national standards, and mortgage costs remain manageable relative to local incomes.

District-level strategic changes or recent referendums in Park Forest SD 163 were not confirmed in available sources, so the school's near-term direction and any new initiatives remain unclear from public reporting. A parent interested in understanding the school's leadership philosophy, curriculum materials, and any targeted academic supports would benefit from speaking directly with school administration.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 417%

School 17% · District 17%

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

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 24%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 614%

School 14% · District 13% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 431%

School 31% · District 31%

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 56%

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 649%

School 49% · District 37% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Science

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

This schoolPark Forest SD 163, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 7Lower-income14%Higher-income20%6 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income23%Higher-income56%33 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income11%Higher-income10%1 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income14%Higher-income38%24 pp gap