The top reported proficiency rate is 15% in Math. The lowest is 12% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Longfellow Elem School
Longfellow Elementary is a small school serving prekindergarten through sixth grade in Rock Island, Illinois, with an enrollment of roughly 250 students. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with large shares of Black and Hispanic students, significant representation of White and multiracial students, and smaller Asian enrollment. Enrollment across grades is fairly consistent except for a modest dip in fourth and sixth grade.
The school's academic performance on state assessments is very low across all tested subjects and grades. In math, third-grade proficiency sits in the mid-to-high single digits, falling sharply by fourth grade and continuing to decline through the higher grades, where proficiency rates drop to single digits. In English language arts, the pattern is similar: third grade at 10 percent, fourth grade at roughly 10 percent, fifth grade at 26 percent, and sixth grade at 11 percent. Science results are comparably weak, with fifth-grade proficiency at 11 percent. Grades seven and eight data are not available, which is expected since the school serves only through sixth grade. When positioned against other districts in Rock Island County, Longfellow's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among tested schools. Parents should understand that proficiency on these assessments requires performance at Levels 3 or 4, and the school's results fall well below what would signal strong foundational skills in reading, writing, and mathematics across the grade band.
Free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility data was not available, so information about the economic composition of families is not present in the available records. Special education and English learner enrollment counts are also not reported, limiting a fuller picture of student needs.
The school sits within Rock Island-Milan School District 41, which is undergoing significant change. The district recently adopted science-of-reading aligned literacy curricula—specifically Fountas & Pinnell Classroom Literacy (CKLA) for grades K–2 and Expeditionary Learning through eighth grade—and launched a districtwide "Reading Revolution" initiative. This represents a substantive instructional shift that families will notice in daily classroom practice. Early state report card results show several schools in the district moving up at least one accountability rating, suggesting the literacy work is beginning to move results. Separately, the district is in the early phases of a Facilities Management Plan that openly evaluates possible school consolidation, given aging building stock. Families considering enrollment should expect possible boundary shifts and closures in the coming years. The district also completed and opened a new Administration Center with a central production kitchen and warehouse, a major capital commitment reflecting how meals and operations will be coordinated districtwide.
Rock Island itself is a mid-sized Mississippi River city in the Illinois Quad Cities with a mix of residential neighborhoods, a historic downtown core along the riverfront, and Augustana College to the east. The city's population has been declining modestly for several decades; growth in the region has shifted to Scott County (Iowa) across the river. Development in Rock Island is focused on infill and redevelopment—downtown apartment and restaurant projects, a veterans housing initiative, and Augustana-affiliated efforts to activate the College Hill District near campus. Housing values in the 61201 zip code where Longfellow is located are moderate relative to state and national benchmarks, and rents are correspondingly affordable. The area is served by MetroLINK, the regional bus system, which partners with schools to offer free or reduced fares to students.
Parents interested in Longfellow should prioritize conversation with the school about the concrete instructional changes underway as part of the Reading Revolution, what additional support is available to students performing below state proficiency benchmarks, and any anticipated impact from the district's facilities planning on the school's future.
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