The top reported proficiency rate is 55% in English language arts. The lowest is 39% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Charter Oak Primary School
Charter Oak Primary School serves kindergarten through fourth grade in Peoria, a mid-sized Illinois city with a mix of historic residential neighborhoods, a revitalizing downtown and Warehouse District, and newer North Peoria subdivisions. The school enrolls a small-to-moderate number of students, with its student body roughly half Black, about a quarter white, and substantial representation across Hispanic, multiracial, and other groups. Free-or-reduced-price lunch rates and counts of students with IEPs or English learner status were not available in the data.
State testing results in Illinois (IAR) are available only for third and fourth grade at this school, given its grade span. In third-grade math, about half of students scored at proficient or above. Third-grade reading performance was comparable. Fourth-grade reading shows relative strength, with a solid majority of students proficient or above. Fourth-grade math, however, dips notably lower, with only about a quarter of students meeting proficiency. The school participated fully in testing both years with no participation gaps. Testing data for kindergarten, first, and second grade does not exist because those grades are not assessed under state accountability systems.
When compared against other districts in Peoria County, Charter Oak's overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint. A parent may want to look into the school's specific strategies for math support, particularly given the fourth-grade math results, and to understand what interventions or curricula are in place. The district as a whole is in the early stages of a major curriculum shift: in April 2026 the Peoria School District approved a roughly two-million-dollar overhaul of K-5 reading instruction, replacing materials in place for years with a science-of-reading-aligned program. This shift toward phonics and evidence-based literacy is a direct response to concerning district-wide reading proficiency data; it will reshape elementary literacy instruction across the district for years and is a backdrop for understanding any school's reading practices.
The neighborhoods surrounding the school reflect Peoria's varied character. Homes in the area have shown steady appreciation over the past year, and rental costs are modest by national standards. The local housing market has shown modest inventory levels and is marked by slow new construction and concentration of investment in downtown and Warehouse District redevelopment projects. Peoria's economy centers on healthcare (OSF Healthcare is the region's largest employer) and manufacturing, particularly heavy machinery and internal-combustion engines. The city is car-oriented outside its walkable downtown and Warehouse District cores, though the transit system CityLink serves schools, shops, and community anchors across the area.
The school itself carries no Title I designation and does not operate as a charter. It is a regular public school within Peoria SD 150. Program offerings, staffing, discipline policies, and detailed attendance data were not available in the materials reviewed. A parent evaluating this school should ask directly about math intervention strategies, the rollout timeline for the new literacy curriculum and how it will affect instruction, class sizes, and available enrichment or support services.
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