The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in English language arts. The lowest is 28% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Simmons Middle School
Simmons Middle School serves grades six through eight in Oak Lawn, a mid-sized Cook County village about fifteen miles southwest of downtown Chicago. The school enrolls a diverse student body spanning roughly equal cohorts across its three grades. Racially, the enrollment is split between white students and Hispanic students, with smaller Asian and Black populations and very few American Indian or Native Hawaiian students represented. The school's location sits within Ridgeland School District 122, which in February 2024 approved waiving student fees and device insurance charges—a move that removes recurring out-of-pocket costs for families.
On state assessments, Simmons shows a divergent profile between English language arts and mathematics. In English, proficiency is notably stronger. Eighth graders performed solidly, with a majority meeting or exceeding state standards. Sixth and seventh graders also showed majority proficiency, making ELA a relative strength across the school. Mathematics, by contrast, presents a softer picture. Sixth-grade math proficiency sits in the low range, seventh grade is comparably low, and eighth grade is lower still. The school's overall proficiency index, calculated across tested subjects and grades, falls below the midpoint when positioned against other districts in Cook County.
Science testing data was available only for eighth grade, where proficiency was below majority, coming in near that subject's performance in math. The school administered tests with high participation rates—effectively universal for math and nearly universal for ELA and science—so gaps reflect actual student performance rather than testing barriers.
Beyond testing, little other school-environment data was available in the records reviewed: chronic absenteeism, discipline incident counts, staffing ratios, course-level access information, and free-or-reduced-price meal eligibility were not reported. The school is a regular public school with no charter status or magnet designation, and Title I status was not specified.
Oak Lawn itself is a predominantly residential community with busy commercial corridors anchored by 95th Street. A notable Arab-American population shapes daily life, and a downtown redeveloped around the Metra station in recent decades has created a walkable core with modern apartments, shops, and civic facilities, though most residents still rely on car travel. Housing is modestly priced for the region, with median home values well below the Chicago-area median, and rental costs are similarly moderate. Employment is anchored by health care (Advocate Christ Medical Center), retail, and education. Transit access is unusually strong for a suburb, with the Oak Lawn Patriot Metra station offering weekday commuter rail service and Pace and CTA bus connections.
A parent considering Simmons should weigh its strength in reading and language arts against the weak mathematics results, particularly in the upper grades. A parent may want to look into further with the school whether there are targeted math interventions in place, what instructional approaches are being used, and whether additional math support or tutoring is available. The absence of broader school-environment data means a parent should seek directly from the school information about class size, teacher experience, discipline practices, and any special programs or supports that might address individual student needs.
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