Taft Grade School, Lockport IL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Taft Grade School

Taft Grade School is a small public school serving roughly a quarter of a thousand students from preschool through eighth grade in Lockport, a historic canal city about 30 miles southwest of Chicago in Will County. The school sits in a community with both established limestone-era downtown character and newer suburban residential development, anchored by the Illinois and Michigan Canal and positioned near Interstate 355. For families considering this school, the core question is how to read academic performance that is notably weak across most grade levels and subjects.

The state assessment results for 2024-25 reveal a persistent pattern. In math, proficiency rates start at roughly six out of ten students in third grade, then decline sharply through the middle grades, reaching single digits by eighth grade. English language arts shows a similar arc, with strength in the early grades around third and fourth, then deteriorating to roughly one in three by middle grades. Science results, tested only in fifth and eighth grade, show proficiency in the low range. When averaged across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among the school districts in Will County. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand whether particular grade levels or cohorts are affected differently, whether recent staff changes or curriculum work might be moving these numbers, and what support systems exist for students who need extra help. The school serves a student body that is roughly three-fifths white, one-quarter Hispanic, and a small share of Asian and multiracial students; demographic breakdowns for English learners or students with IEPs were not available in the data.

Enrollment is stable and modest, with roughly a quarter of a thousand students spread fairly evenly across grades. The school does not report free-or-reduced-price lunch counts, so the economic background of the student population is not clear from the data provided. Housing in Lockport and the surrounding area has moved steadily upward in value over the past year, with median home values in the mid-range for the county and rents rising modestly; the city is experiencing new residential development on its edges, particularly single-family and townhome subdivisions near the interstate. The community has a revitalized downtown with Metra access, public transit, and recreational anchors tied to the historic canal trail, suggesting a mixed residential fabric rather than a purely suburban one.

Taft Grade School is a regular public school with no charter or magnet status, operated by Taft School District 90. The school occupies a location on South Washington Street in the city, putting it within walking distance of downtown rather than on the periphery. State assessment data was not comparable year to year because Illinois revised the proficiency cut scores in 2024-25, so trends cannot be computed from the information provided. Beyond academic assessment, data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, course offerings, staffing, or any particular programs or initiatives were not available. The district brief found no major referenda or curriculum shifts in recent years, suggesting the school operates within a stable, if quiet, administrative context.

For families with students who struggle academically, the consistent low proficiency rates, especially in middle grades, warrant direct conversation with the school about what interventions are in place, how the school identifies and supports students falling below grade level, and what resources exist outside school hours. For families with students performing at or above grade level in earlier years, the question becomes steeper: whether the curriculum or instruction shifts notably as students move toward eighth grade, or whether particular students are at risk. The school's size and location near downtown may appeal to families seeking a smaller, neighborhood-embedded environment rather than a large campus school, and Lockport's mixed character—both historic and growing—creates a particular residential context. But the academic pattern shown in the state data is the school's defining challenge and should be the starting point for any parent evaluation.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 361%

School 61% · District 61%

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 452%

School 52% · District 52%

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 24%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 618%

School 18% · District 18%

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 728%

School 28% · District 28%

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 89%

School 9% · District 9%

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 364%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 462%

School 62% · District 62%

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 30%

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Grade 625%

School 25% · District 25%

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

Grade 740%

School 40% · District 40%

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 836%

School 36% · District 36%

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Science

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 822%

School 22% · District 22%

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

This schoolTaft SD 90, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.