The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in English language arts. The lowest is 27% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Dr. C.t. Vivian Primary School
Dr. C.T. Vivian Primary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade in Peoria. The school's enrollment is small by design, as it is sized for an early elementary population. A substantial majority of students identify as Black; Hispanic, white, and multiracial students make up smaller shares. The school is a regular public school within Peoria SD 150.
The school's current testing results show low proficiency in both math and English language arts. In third grade, roughly a third of students met the state's proficiency benchmark in ELA, and roughly a third in math. In fourth grade, proficiency rates dropped to about one-third in ELA and about one-quarter in math. These numbers reflect a real challenge in early literacy and numeracy. The district has just undertaken a major curriculum overhaul in reading, approved in April 2026, replacing materials that had been in place for years with a science-of-reading aligned program using phonics and evidence-based methods. This shift is significant for the school because the district found that roughly two-thirds of third through eighth graders were not reading at grade level. The new curriculum will take time to show results, but it signals a strategic response to the literacy gap families should understand as a context for the school's current performance.
State testing data for fifth grade and above were not available, which is expected because the school does not serve those grades. The school does have some fifth and sixth graders enrolled; a parent may want to ask the district directly about where those students are served or transitioned, since the testing universe does not reflect them.
Compared to other districts in Peoria County, Dr. C.T. Vivian's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile. The school sits well below the median proficiency across the county's districts.
Peoria itself is a mid-sized city undergoing concentrated redevelopment in its downtown and Warehouse District rather than broad growth. Housing in the area is moderately priced; the county median listing price has risen modestly. The city's civic anchors include the Illinois Riverfront, Glen Oak Park with the zoo, the Peoria Public Library system, and CityLink transit, which serves schools and parks across eight communities. Healthcare and manufacturing anchor the local economy; OSF Healthcare and Caterpillar are the largest employers. The neighborhood context around the school's Florence Avenue location in Peoria carries the character of an established residential area.
For families considering Dr. C.T. Vivian, the key question is readiness to work with a school whose reading and math performance is currently below the county norm but which is part of a district investing heavily in literacy instruction. The school is small, age-appropriate for early elementary, and racially diverse. Parents may want to ask about the implementation timeline for the new reading curriculum, early support structures for students not meeting benchmarks, and how the school communicates progress as the new materials roll out.
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