The top reported proficiency rate is 86% in English language arts. The lowest is 68% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Thomas Dooley Elem School
Thomas Dooley Elementary School is a mid-sized neighborhood school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Schaumburg, situated in a mixed-use suburban setting anchored by major corporate offices, retail, and residential neighborhoods roughly 28 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. The school sits within Schaumburg Community Consolidated School District 54, which recently implemented significant curriculum and literacy changes that affect how every student in the building learns math and reads.
The school's academic performance, measured by Illinois state testing in 2024-25, reflects solid proficiency across both English language arts and mathematics. In English language arts, third grade and sixth grade students show particular strength, with the majority meeting proficiency on the state assessment. Fifth grade scores are notably high across the district's schools. Mathematics proficiency is more uneven by grade. Third grade math shows strength, while fifth and fourth grades show lower proficiency, with fifth grade particularly softer than the other tested grades. Sixth grade returns to stronger performance. Science proficiency in fifth grade is lower than reading or math, a common pattern many elementary schools see. Testing participation rates are nearly universal across the school, indicating students are taking the assessments. It is important to note that the data reflect the first year a new K-7 math curriculum (Origo Stepping Stones) has been in place, adopted district-wide to replace prior materials. A parent may want to ask the school how the transition is going and whether they expect proficiency trends to shift as teachers gain experience with the new program. The school also implemented a new K-2 literacy plan centered on foundational reading skills and early dyslexia screening, which shapes how the youngest learners in the building are taught reading.
The school's overall proficiency index across tested grades and subjects places it in the top quartile among the Cook County districts where comparable school-level data is available. That context matters: this is a school performing above the county median on state measures.
The school serves a diverse student population. Roughly two-fifths of students are Asian, about a third are white, roughly a sixth are multiracial, and smaller shares are Hispanic, Black, and Native American. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and on English learners were not available, limiting a full picture of economic and language diversity in the building. The enrollment is stable at around 450 students across the grade band, with relatively balanced class sizes.
Schaumburg itself is an auto-oriented suburb with concentrated walkable commercial and civic space limited to the Olde Schaumburg Centre (including Town Square and the second-largest public library in Illinois) and new mixed-use developments under construction on the former Motorola campus. The broader area is in transition: office parks are being converted into residential apartments and rowhomes; new "downtown-style" mixed-use districts are being built; and existing neighborhoods remain the stable residential base. Housing values in the 60193 zip code are roughly mid-range for Cook County, with median home values and median rents both reflecting moderate affordability. The area serves as a significant employment hub for the Chicago region, with major corporate headquarters including Zurich North America, Motorola Solutions, OptumRx, and numerous others alongside large retail centers. This employment concentration draws commuters from across the region.
The school itself is a regular public elementary school with no magnet or charter designation. No information was available on staffing levels, special education or English learner enrollment, discipline data, course access beyond standard elementary offerings, chronic absenteeism, or attendance patterns. Title I status was also not reported. A parent looking into the school may want to contact the school or district directly to learn more about support services for students with disabilities, services for English learners, and how the school supports both advanced learners and students who need extra help in reading or math as they settle into the new curricula.
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