Is McDowell Elementary School a good school?

McDowell Elementary School ranks 1143 rd of 2067 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend McDowell Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 115 students attended McDowell Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of McDowell Elementary School?

Students at McDowell Elementary School are 97% African American, 3% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of McDowell Elementary School attend?

Students who attend McDowell Elementary School usually go on to attend: High : Bowen High School

McDowell Elementary School

Summary:

McDowell Elementary School is a public elementary school in Chicago, Illinois, serving 117 students in grades PK-5. It is part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299, which is ranked 688 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

McDowell Elementary School consistently underperforms the district and state in proficiency rates for English Language Arts and Mathematics, with only 31.3% of students proficient or better in ELA and 18.8% proficient or better in Math, compared to 30.5% and 18.3% for the district, and 41.2% and 28.4% for the state, respectively. The school also struggles with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 5.0% to 27.6% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, 90.6% of McDowell's students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high-poverty student population.

While McDowell Elementary School faces significant challenges, it has shown some strengths in specific student subgroups. For example, in the 2022-2023 school year, the school's African American students and low-socioeconomic status students ranked in the top 5% and top 10%, respectively, among Illinois elementary schools in those categories. Comparing McDowell to nearby schools, Earhart Elementary Opt for Knowl School, located just 0.58 miles away, consistently outperforms McDowell in both ELA and Math proficiency rates, as well as in overall statewide rankings.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1419 E 89th St
Chicago, IL 60619-7196

(773) 535-6404

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
1143^rd of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $27,905

Students who attend McDowell Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Bowen High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.5

Number of students: 115

Racial breakdown:

African American:

97.4%

Hispanic:

2.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 92.2%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare McDowell Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details McDowell Elementary School ranks worse than 55.3% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 101^st among 452 ranked elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 40.33. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (97.4%), Hispanic (2.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 92.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at McDowell Elementary School is 11.5, which is the 109^th best among 452 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

Compare McDowell Elementary School employs 10 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at McDowell Elementary School is $27,905, which is the 43^rd highest among 452 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

McDowell Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks McDowell Elementary School 1143^rd of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See McDowell Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

African American students:

Chicago Public Schools District 299:

SchoolDigger ranks Chicago Public Schools District 299 688^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for McDowell Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at McDowell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	56.74	1073^rd	2020	46.9%
2004	32.84	1535^th	2030	24.4%
2005	26.85	1642^nd	2022	18.8%
2006	37.54	1555^th	2086	25.5%
2007	44.28	1419^th	2095	32.3%
2008	34.21	1557^th	2092	25.6%
2009	45.37	1366^th	2120	35.6%
2010	42.03	1443^rd	2139	32.5%
2011	49.63	1303^rd	2147	39.3%
2012	52.91	1219^th	2166	43.7%
2013	48.65	1183^rd	2167	45.4%
2014	59.54	884^th	2093	57.8%
2015	46.84	976^th	2052	52.4%
2016	26.50	1518^th	2046	25.8%
2017	56.35	826^th	2044	59.6%
2018	58.74	790^th	2037	61.2%
2019	67.15	633^rd	2086	69.7%
2021	32.93	1228^th	1948	37.0%
2022	32.36	1337^th	2082	35.8%
2023	64.10	670^th	2077	67.7%
2024	40.33	1143^rd	2067	44.7%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at McDowell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	81.35	155^th	1765	91.2%
2019	86.34	90^th	1816	95.0%
2021	57.17	477^th	1514	68.5%
2022	46.09	872^nd	1763	50.5%
2023	82.95	147^th	1808	91.9%
2024	51.04	781^st	1793	56.4%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at McDowell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	61.84	681^st	1964	65.3%
2019	70.81	522^nd	2019	74.1%
2023	85.68	229^th	1957	88.3%
2024	59.45	690^th	1942	64.5%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at McDowell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	55.23	813^th	1972	58.8%
2019	69.97	531^st	2019	73.7%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at McDowell Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	90.90	28^th	698	96.0%
2019	95.30	19^th	711	97.3%
2021	72.97	43^rd	428	90.0%
2022	61.37	164^th	684	76.0%
2023	85.93	38^th	692	94.5%
2024	74.19	87^th	655	86.7%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for McDowell Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	213	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	213
1990	n/a	204	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	204
1991	0	220	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	220
1992	1	208	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	209
1993	0	208	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	208
1994	0	168	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	168
1995	0	193	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	194
1996	0	193	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	194
1997	0	206	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	208
1998	0	206	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	206
1999	0	227	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	228
2000	1	203	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	204
2001	0	205	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	205
2002	0	245	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	245
2003	0	245	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	245
2004	0	246	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	246
2005	0	227	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	227
2006	0	202	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	202
2007	0	207	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	207
2008	0	176	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	3	179
2009	0	205	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	205
2010	0	190	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	190
2011	2	159	1	1	0	0	4	0	167
2012	2	179	0	3	2	0	3	0	189
2013	0	179	0	5	0	0	5	0	189
2014	1	178	1	5	0	0	6	0	191
2015	1	170	1	4	0	0	5	0	181
2016	1	172	0	4	0	0	4	0	181
2017	0	164	0	4	0	0	2	0	170
2018	0	150	0	4	0	0	1	0	155
2019	0	148	0	4	0	0	2	0	154
2020	0	150	0	3	0	0	2	0	155
2021	2	140	0	5	0	0	2	0	149
2022	0	111	0	6	0	0	0	0	117
2023	0	115	0	2	0	0	0	0	117
2024	0	112	0	3	0	0	0	0	115

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at McDowell Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	213	7.0	30.4	n/a
1990	204	8.0	25.5	n/a
1991	220	8.0	27.5	n/a
1992	209	10.0	20.9	n/a
1993	208	10.0	20.8	n/a
1994	168	9.0	18.7	n/a
1995	194	9.0	21.6	n/a
1996	194	9.0	21.6	n/a
1997	208	10.0	20.8	n/a
1998	206	9.0	22.9	n/a
1999	228	8.0	28.5	n/a
2000	204	11.0	18.5	n/a
2001	205	10.0	20.5	n/a
2002	245	10.0	24.5	76.7
2003	245	10.0	24.5	76.7
2004	246	11.4	21.6	83.7
2005	227	14.3	15.9	74.4
2006	202	13.3	15.2	83.2
2007	207	6.0	34.5	88.4
2008	179	9.0	19.9	93.2
2009	205	11.0	18.6	93.2
2010	190	11.0	17.2	89.5
2011	167	11.0	15.1	89.8
2012	189	10.0	18.9	94.2
2013	189	9.7	19.3	90.5
2014	191	11.0	17.3	91.6
2015	181	11.0	16.4	93.4
2016	181	10.0	18.1	92.8
2017	170	7.8	21.6	94.7
2018	155	8.9	17.2	95.5
2019	154	11.0	14.0	90.9
2020	155	9.0	17.2	94.8
2021	149	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	117	10.0	11.7	88.9
2023	117	11.0	10.6	90.6
2024	115	10.0	11.5	92.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio McDowell Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	213	7.0	30.4	n/a
1990	204	8.0	25.5	n/a
1991	220	8.0	27.5	n/a
1992	209	10.0	20.9	n/a
1993	208	10.0	20.8	n/a
1994	168	9.0	18.7	n/a
1995	194	9.0	21.6	n/a
1996	194	9.0	21.6	n/a
1997	208	10.0	20.8	n/a
1998	206	9.0	22.9	n/a
1999	228	8.0	28.5	n/a
2000	204	11.0	18.5	n/a
2001	205	10.0	20.5	n/a
2002	245	10.0	24.5	76.7
2003	245	10.0	24.5	76.7
2004	246	11.4	21.6	83.7
2005	227	14.3	15.9	74.4
2006	202	13.3	15.2	83.2
2007	207	6.0	34.5	88.4
2008	179	9.0	19.9	93.2
2009	205	11.0	18.6	93.2
2010	190	11.0	17.2	89.5
2011	167	11.0	15.1	89.8
2012	189	10.0	18.9	94.2
2013	189	9.7	19.3	90.5
2014	191	11.0	17.3	91.6
2015	181	11.0	16.4	93.4
2016	181	10.0	18.1	92.8
2017	170	7.8	21.6	94.7
2018	155	8.9	17.2	95.5
2019	154	11.0	14.0	90.9
2020	155	9.0	17.2	94.8
2021	149	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	117	10.0	11.7	88.9
2023	117	11.0	10.6	90.6
2024	115	10.0	11.5	92.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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