The top reported proficiency rate is 78% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Worth Jr High School
Worth Jr High School is a small middle school serving grades six through eight in the residential village of Worth, a Cook County community positioned between the Calumet-Sag Channel and the industrial southwest edge of Chicago. The school enrolls students primarily from a mid-sized residential base: the school population is majority white, with substantial Hispanic representation and smaller Asian and Black communities.
The academic picture is mixed by subject. In English language arts, performance is notably stronger: sixth and seventh graders each show solid proficiency, and eighth graders demonstrate strength that exceeds the midpoint among Cook County districts. Math results are considerably softer across all three grades, with proficiency rates in the low-to-mid range. Science results, available for eighth grade only, show about half the cohort meeting proficiency. Participation in state testing is near-complete, suggesting reliable data. The data does not report trend over prior years, so whether these results reflect improvement, decline, or stability is not available.
Relative to the wider set of Cook County districts, the school's overall proficiency index positions it above the midpoint. This reflects strength in reading balanced against the gaps in mathematics.
The school occupies a renovated facility. Worth School District 127 has been undertaking substantial infrastructure work across its schools since 2020. A March 2024 groundbreaking initiated new construction at Worth Jr High itself, with completion expected by August 2025. For families, this means their children will attend a building that is either newly rebuilt or substantially modernized rather than aging infrastructure.
The school lacks state testing results for grades three through five, which is expected: Worth Jr High serves only middle grades and does not administer the state assessment at elementary grade levels. The school does not report free-or-reduced-price lunch data, special education enrollment, or English learner counts in the available data. Graduation rate and chronic absenteeism metrics do not apply to a middle school. Without these additional context points, a parent looking to understand the full support landscape and student demographics in economic terms may want to reach out to the school or district directly.
Worth itself is a quiet, built-out village of modest size with a small-town feel despite its location in Cook County. Civic and commercial life centers on 111th Street and Harlem Avenue, within walking distance of the Worth Metra station. The community is predominantly residential, with green space and water features (Water's Edge Golf Club, Lucas Berg Nature Preserve, the Calumet-Sag Channel) defining its character. The housing market in the area is moderate and stable. Growth is incremental rather than rapid; the village has focused recent development on transit-oriented infill near the Metra station and scattered new single-family construction.
A parent choosing this school is selecting a middle-grades pathway in a small, stable, renovated facility in a quiet, car-dependent residential community where reading instruction appears a relative strength but math support warrants close attention.
See more original research from School Decision →