The top reported proficiency rate is 63% in English language arts. The lowest is 41% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Old Orchard Jr High School
Old Orchard Jr High School serves students in grades 6 through 8 in Skokie, a village of roughly 63,000 residents about 15 miles north of Chicago's downtown. The school is located within Skokie School District 68, a district serving a highly diverse residential community where children in the schools speak more than 90 languages.
The school's current enrollment spans three grade levels, with the seventh-grade class being the largest. The student body is genuinely diverse: Asian, white, Hispanic, and Black students each make up a significant share of the enrollment, with smaller populations of two or more races and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch participation and special education identification rates were not available, so a parent would want to inquire directly about the school's support systems for low-income families and students with disabilities.
State testing results are available for grades 6, 7, and 8 in English language arts, mathematics, and science. In English language arts, proficiency grows as students move through the school: sixth graders showed proficiency around 60 percent, seventh graders slightly lower at about 60 percent, and eighth graders notably higher at about 68 percent. Mathematics proficiency is lower across all grades. Sixth graders show about 35 percent proficiency, seventh graders improve to about 44 percent, and eighth graders reach about 43 percent. In science, only eighth-grade results are reported, at about 49 percent proficiency. Participation rates in the testing are consistently high across grades and subjects, well above 97 percent, indicating reliable assessment data.
Compared to other districts in Cook County on overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades, Old Orchard sits above the midpoint. This reflects an academic profile where the school is performing better than the typical Cook County district, though many students are not yet meeting proficiency.
The Skokie area sits in a phase of substantial growth and redevelopment. Major housing projects are underway, including the transformation of Westfield Old Orchard from a traditional shopping mall into a mixed-use community with hundreds of new apartments, mid-rise buildings along transit corridors near the CTA Yellow Line, and townhome developments. Home values are rising and the residential market shows moderate activity. For families considering the area, the village adopted an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance in 2024 that requires affordable units in new developments.
At the district level, parents should be aware of financial pressures. District 68 has shifted from healthy cash reserves to growing annual deficits, with projections that reserves could fall below the state-preferred threshold in coming years if spending and revenue are not rebalanced. This signals possible future decisions around programs, staffing levels, or property tax that families weighing a move into the district would want to monitor. The district is also in the midst of a capital improvement program called BuilD68 involving modernized heating, cooling, and sewer infrastructure across its facilities. Concurrently, the district is developing a new 2026-2031 strategic plan with priorities around student success, staff development, equity, and community engagement. A parent considering this school may want to follow these strategic and budget conversations to understand the district's direction.
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