Summary:
The 60120 zip code area is home to two middle schools, Larsen Middle School and Ellis Middle School, both of which are performing below average compared to state and district standards. The data analysis reveals that these schools face significant challenges, with consistently low academic proficiency rates, poor state rankings, and high chronic absenteeism rates.
Both Larsen Middle School and Ellis Middle School have struggled to meet performance benchmarks in English Language Arts and Mathematics, with proficiency rates well below the district and state averages. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Larsen Middle School had only 30.8% of students proficient or better in ELA, compared to 43.1% for the district and 53.1% for the state. In Mathematics, Larsen had only 14.5% proficient or better, compared to 31.5% for the district and 38.5% for the state. The performance trends are similar for Ellis Middle School, with even lower proficiency rates in Mathematics.
Despite adequate funding and staffing resources, as evidenced by higher-than-average per-student spending and relatively low student-teacher ratios, the schools have failed to show significant improvement over the past few years. Both Larsen Middle School and Ellis Middle School are ranked in the bottom half of Illinois middle schools and are rated 1 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger, indicating they are among the lowest-performing schools in the state. Addressing the underlying issues that are contributing to these schools' struggles should be a priority for the School District U-46 and the local community.
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