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Shields Middle School

Q: Is Shields Middle School a good school?

Shields Middle School ranks 1001 st of 1368 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 5-8

1001^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,368 Illinois Middle Schools

Better than 27% of Illinois middle schools

Summary

Shields Middle School is a public middle school in Chicago, Illinois, serving 376 students in grades 5-8. The school is part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299, which has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Shields Middle School consistently underperforms compared to the district and state in academic proficiency. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 38% of Shields students were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to 42.8% for the district and 53.1% for the state. In Mathematics, only 13.2% of Shields students were proficient, compared to 27.3% for the district and 38.5% for the state. The school also struggles with very high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.4% to 40.8% over the past few years. Additionally, Shields Middle School serves a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 95.48% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

When comparing Shields Middle School to nearby schools in the same district, such as Madero Middle School, Hernandez Middle School, and Richardson Middle School, Shields consistently underperforms in both English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency. Despite spending a relatively high amount per student, $19,947 in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's academic outcomes have not improved, suggesting the need for a more effective use of resources.

330

Students ?

10.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,553

Per pupil spending ?

96.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2611 W 48th St
Chicago, IL 60632-1402

(773) 535-7115

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

Students who attend Shields Middle School usually attend:

High:

Thomas Kelly College Preparatory

Feeder schools for Shields Middle School:

Elementary:

Shields Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

97.3%

African American:

1.5%

White:

0.6%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Shields Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 19th percentile in 2015 → 27th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2015

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (25% vs 44% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (40% vs 25% Illinois)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school25%

District avg33%

Illinois avg44%

1,001^st of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Bottom 27%▲ up 8 pts since 2015

From bottom 19% (2015) to bottom 27% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 11Middle Schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299

698^th of 811Chicago Public Schools District 299 among Illinois districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	25.5	1001 of 1368	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.5	1218 of 1363	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.4	1038 of 1367	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.3	1095 of 1369	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.0	1021 of 1241	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.9	1024 of 1356	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.7	1010 of 1293	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	22.0	1027 of 1293	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	21.5	1070 of 1294	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	21.3	1054 of 1302	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	17.9	670 of 694	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	22.8	585 of 639	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	27.4	523 of 674	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	32.8	341 of 483	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.6	433 of 486	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.2	296 of 480	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.7	286 of 454	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.6	77 of 277	72.2%	★★★★☆
2019	38.5	229 of 339	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.9	152 of 285	46.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	25.2	943 of 1248	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.9	1126 of 1251	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.1	1032 of 1275	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.7	1040 of 1286	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.3	858 of 1017	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.7	982 of 1276	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.1	960 of 1226	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	29.0	477 of 669	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.1	574 of 643	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.9	503 of 661	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.4	564 of 662	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.8	430 of 517	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.3	506 of 639	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.9	487 of 590	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	37.0	762 of 1229	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.6	1013 of 1219	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.3	799 of 1234	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.6	913 of 1221	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.6	725 of 1019	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.3	823 of 1217	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.0	818 of 1161	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	26.8	901 of 1271	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.9	1109 of 1264	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.7	912 of 1292	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.9	1022 of 1286	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.0	939 of 1048	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.8	961 of 1296	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.4	971 of 1223	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	30.2	535 of 812	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.5	595 of 802	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.4	637 of 805	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.7	627 of 781	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.2	575 of 792	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.5	475 of 602	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)38th percentile+11 vs school

Special Education (2025)34th percentile+7 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)29th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)29th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)29th percentile~ school

Female (2025)24th percentile~ school

Disabled (2025)3rd percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts38%-15 vs state

Science24%-19 vs state

Mathematics13%-25 vs state

★

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Schools Near Shields Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISA Science (2025)		IAR English Language Arts (2025)							IAR Mathematics (2025)							% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% DTP (2024)	% Pneumococcal (2024)	% Meningococcal (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISA Science 5th Grade	ISA Science 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 3rd Grade	IAR English Language Arts 4th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	IAR Mathematics 4th Grade	IAR Mathematics 5th Grade	IAR Mathematics 6th Grade	IAR Mathematics 7th Grade	IAR Mathematics 8th Grade	IAR Mathematics All Grades	% Polio All Grades	% Measles All Grades	% Mumps All Grades	% Rubella All Grades	% Hepatitis B All Grades	% Varicella All Grades	% DTP All Grades	% Pneumococcal All Grades	% Meningococcal All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Shields Middle School	Public	5-8	2611 W 48th St	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-7115	330	31	10.8	96.7%	2 (0.6%)	5 (1.5%)	321 (97.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	25.5	1001^st of 1368 public middle schools	26.8%		15.5	1218^th of 1363 public middle schools	10.6%	217	27.0	21.6			34.7	53.2	28.2	38.2	38.0			17.3	17.7	14.3	5.6	13.2	94.0	97.8	97.8	97.8	94.0	94.6	95.4		68.8	$21,553	$3,188	$18,365
Hernandez Middle School	Public	6-8	3510 W 55th St	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-8850	720	50	14.4	94.9%	4 (0.6%)	10 (1.4%)	704 (97.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23.1	1044^th of 1368 public middle schools	23.7%		19.3	1108^th of 1363 public middle schools	18.7%	64		21.3				32.6	29.6	33.6	31.9				16.6	23.2	13.8	17.9	98.3	98.8	98.8	98.8	94.3	98.4	98.8		93.0	$17,273	$2,783	$14,490
Evergreen Academy Elementary School	Public	6-8	3537 S Paulina St	Chicago	60609	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-4836	191	21	9.0	89.0%	5 (2.6%)	4 (2.1%)	172 (90.1%)	7 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	42	744^th of 1368 public middle schools	45.6%		28.9	925^th of 1363 public middle schools	32.1%	181		31.1				59.6	53.3	51.6	54.7				21.1	23.3	13.1	19.1	94.5	97.0	97.0	97.0	89.6	95.5	95.5		92.0	$27,424	$3,558	$23,866
Richardson Middle School	Public	5-8	6018 S Karlov Ave	Chicago	60629	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-8640	844	57	14.8	87.8%	11 (1.3%)	7 (0.8%)	824 (97.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	24.5	1023^rd of 1368 public middle schools	25.2%		35.6	807^th of 1363 public middle schools	40.8%	216	26.5	13.2			37.3	41.7	36.4	28.6	35.6			20.5	14.3	26.2	13.2	18.7	98.1	99.1	99.1	99.1	98.0	98.5	99.2		59.6	$17,518	$2,601	$14,917
Madero Middle School	Public	6-8	3202 W 28th St	Chicago	60623	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-4466	231	23	9.9	71.9%	3 (1.3%)	1 (0.4%)	226 (97.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	23.5	1035^th of 1368 public middle schools	24.3%		18.4	1141^st of 1363 public middle schools	16.3%	106		38.4				24.5	37.5	34.1	33.0				6.1	8.3	18.6	12.1	95.6	96.4	96.4	96.4	91.9	95.6	95.6		83.9	$25,190	$4,575	$20,616
Gary Elementary School	Public	3-8	3740 W 31st St	Chicago	60623	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-1455	711	53	13.4	94.5%	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	699 (98.3%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	23	1046^th of 1368 public middle schools	23.5%		27.8	944^th of 1363 public middle schools	30.7%	102	17.4	20.2	25.0	38.6	31.7	27.6	38.5	26.9	31.3	24.0	32.5	5.9	12.2	28.8	12.7	18.7	97.9	99.0	99.0	99.0	96.9	98.5	96.8	4.2	49.5	$18,770	$2,187	$16,583
Columbus East Elementary School	Public	4-6	3100 S 54th Ave	Cicero	60804	Cook County	Cicero School District 99	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 652-6085	411	28	14.5	75.7%	5 (1.2%)	2 (0.5%)	402 (97.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)								(n/a)	23.8			28.0	37.3	33.3			32.9		30.4	12.7	14.9			19.5	98.4	98.7	98.7	98.7	37.4	98.1	98.7		35.8	$21,187	$1,854	$19,333
Cicero East Elementary School	Public	4-6	2324 S 49Th Ave	Cicero	60804	Cook County	Cicero School District 99	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 652-9440	408	28	14.8	76.7%	3 (0.7%)	8 (2.0%)	396 (97.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	19.3			27.1	34.1	44.7			35.1		37.3	17.8	24.6			26.2	96.6	97.8	97.8	97.8	62.0	95.7	97.8		32.2	$20,735	$1,713	$19,022
Unity Junior High School	Public	7-8	2115 S 54th Ave	Cicero	60804	Cook County	Cicero School District 99	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 863-8268	1,919	125	15.3	66.6%	15 (0.8%)	32 (1.7%)	1,865 (97.2%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.2%)	21.4	1088^th of 1368 public middle schools	20.5%		23.9	1025^th of 1363 public middle schools	24.8%	63		25.2					27.6	31.4	29.5					18.2	15.1	16.7	99.5	99.6	99.6	99.6	99.4	99.2	99.6		99.6	$21,680	$1,953	$19,727
Freedom Middle School	Public	6-8	3016 Ridgeland Ave	Berwyn	60402	Cook County	Berwyn South School District 100	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 795-5800	504	47	10.7	81.7%	20 (4.0%)	23 (4.6%)	441 (87.5%)	10 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.0%)	34.7	867^th of 1368 public middle schools	36.6%		34.8	822^nd of 1363 public middle schools	39.7%	45		35.0				39.5	33.9	52.5	41.6				13.2	23.5	24.7	20.7	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2		98.0	$18,233	$1,928	$16,306

Frequently Asked Questions about Shields Middle School

How many students attend Shields Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 330 students attended Shields Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Shields Middle School?

Students at Shields Middle School are 97% Hispanic, 2% African American.

Is Shields Middle School a good school?

Shields Middle School ranks 1001^st of 1368 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is Shields Middle School in?

Chicago Public Schools District 299

What high school do graduates of Shields Middle School attend?

Students who attend Shields Middle School usually go on to attend Thomas Kelly College Preparatory

Rate Shields Middle School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.