Glen Oak Comm Learning Cntr, Peoria IL

Original Research by School Decision on Glen Oak Comm Learning Cntr

Glen Oak Comm Learning Cntr is a K-8 regular public school in Peoria, Illinois, operated by Peoria SD 150. It serves a student body that is predominantly Black, with substantial representation of Hispanic students and smaller numbers of other backgrounds. The school sits in a mid-sized Illinois city with a mix of neighborhoods and is part of a district actively engaged in curriculum reform.

The academic picture at Glen Oak is challenging. State assessment data from early 2025 show that proficiency rates in both math and English language arts fall well below district and state norms across all tested grades. In math, proficiency ranges from very low in the upper elementary and middle grades—reaching only a few percentage points in grades 4, 5, 6, and 8—to somewhat higher in grade 3. English language arts shows similarly low attainment in grades 3 through 7, though grade 8 stands out with a notably higher proficiency rate, suggesting some students make progress by the end of middle school. Science proficiency in grades 5 and 8 is also quite low. Across the county's districts, Glen Oak's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile, reflecting persistent and widespread underperformance. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what factors drive these results and what intervention or support exists.

The district context is directly relevant here. In April 2026, Peoria SD 150 approved a major overhaul of K-5 reading instruction, replacing the curriculum in place for years with science-of-reading aligned materials including Curriculum Associates' Magnetic Literacy for younger grades and HMH Into Reading for fifth grade. This represents a deliberate pedagogical shift back to phonics and structured literacy work. The backdrop is publicly reported data showing that roughly two-thirds of third through eighth graders in the district were not reading at grade level. Glen Oak students will be part of this transition, which is intended to address foundational literacy gaps over time, though the school's current proficiency numbers reflect years of instruction under the previous approach.

The school's enrollment is moderate in size for its grade band, with roughly a balanced distribution across K-8. Free-or-reduced-price-lunch eligibility data was not available, though the school's demographics and location in Peoria's urban context suggest a majority of students face economic constraints. Special education and English learner enrollment counts were also not provided.

Peoria itself is a redevelopment-focused community rather than a high-growth area. Housing is affordable relative to national benchmarks; median home values and rents in the zip code are substantially lower than state and national comparatives. The housing market shows moderate activity with some increase in new listings and pending sales. The city centers on the Illinois Riverfront and downtown districts that are being revitalized, with Glen Oak's location in the North Wisconsin Avenue corridor reflecting the school's position in a working residential part of the city. Infrastructure investment and adaptive reuse projects downtown and in the Warehouse District are ongoing, though the city has acknowledged historically low housing inventory and slower private development rates.

Glen Oak is not a specialized program school, magnet, or charter. It is a traditional neighborhood public school serving its area, now embedded in a district undertaking curriculum reform to address reading outcomes. The state testing results are stark, and a family considering this school should understand both the current performance and the district's plans to improve it. The new reading curriculum rolled out in the 2024-25 school year, so early effects may not yet be visible in state data; school staff can speak to implementation and early indicators.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 316%

School 16% · District 27% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 410%

School 10% · District 20% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 53%

School 3% · District 16% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 65%

School 5% · District 14% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 77%

School 7% · District 20% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 85%

School 5% · District 13% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 314%

School 14% · District 30% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 28% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 29% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 615%

School 15% · District 27% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 711%

School 11% · District 25% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 40 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 834%

School 34% · District 35% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 54%

School 4% · District 18% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 811%

School 11% · District 21% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

This schoolPeoria SD 150, 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.