The top reported proficiency rate is 13% in English language arts. The lowest is 4% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Annie Burns-hicks Elementary School
Annie Burns-Hicks Elementary School, a regular public school in Hammond, Indiana, operates as part of the School City of Hammond district and serves students from prekindergarten through sixth grade. The school is located at 1001 165th Street in a city that fits the classic Rust Belt pattern, a once-thriving industrial center that has seen steady population decline since the mid-twentieth century while maintaining a diversified local economy. Hammond borders Chicago directly and is crisscrossed by expressways, railroads, and the South Shore Line commuter rail, giving it an urban-industrial feel with historic residential districts set among industrial corridors and rail yards. Families who live within the school’s attendance zone are part of a community where major employers include a hospital, the school district itself, a casino, and a mix of manufacturing, warehousing, and food-processing firms.
The student body is substantial for an elementary school. The school enrolls a large number of children across its grade span, with enrollment distributed fairly evenly across kindergarten through sixth grade. The prekindergarten program adds a notable early-learning component. A significant share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a community with moderate to low household incomes. The racial and ethnic composition is predominantly Black, with a large Hispanic population, a small number of students who identify as two or more races, and very few white students. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learner status were not available in the material reviewed.
Academically, the state assessment results from the ILEARN tests place the school’s performance in a difficult position. The overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades falls in the bottom quartile when compared with other districts in Lake County. In mathematics, the share of students scoring proficient or above was low, about where the figure is reported. In English language arts, the rate was somewhat higher but still low. In science, the proficiency rate was similarly low, and in social studies, the rate was very low. These numbers suggest that a large majority of students are not meeting the state’s proficiency standards at this school. A parent looking at this data would want to ask the school directly about its academic improvement plans, instructional supports, and any interventions in place to raise achievement. The participation rate in the state tests was high, so the scores are a credible picture of schoolwide performance, not the result of limited testing.
Because the school serves only through sixth grade, no graduation rate data apply, and chronic absenteeism information was not reported.
The school building itself sits within a district that, publicly reported, does not appear to have undergone major recent structural changes or disruptions that would be top-of-mind for parents. The school day and year follow the district calendar.
For a family considering this school, the central takeaway is that Annie Burns-Hicks Elementary serves a large, predominantly low-income student population in a city shaped by industrial history and population decline. The school’s academic results on state assessments are low relative to other Lake County schools, and a parent would want a clear understanding of how the school is working to address that, including what tutoring, small-group instruction, or curriculum supports are available. The early childhood program through prekindergarten is a resource for younger children in the community. The surrounding city offers a mix of older neighborhoods, some with historic character, along with parkland around Wolf Lake and commuter rail access to Chicago, but the housing values and income levels in the school’s zip code are below state and national benchmarks, consistent with the overall economic picture of Hammond.
See more original research from School Decision →