Josiah Pickard Elementary School
CPS choice · PK,K-8
At a glance
96% of students with IEPs spend most of the school day in general classrooms - above what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2026). Adjusted for low-income share, results sit in the top 20% of CPS schools with published IAR results (adjusted view, disclosed method - ISBE Report Card 2026). In 2025–26, 7 applications were recorded for 3 offers (GoCPS, 2025–26 school year - the most recent seat data SchoolNav has).
- Cultural fit
- 27% of students were chronically absent in 2026 - about what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2026).
- Academic fit
- 91% of teachers stayed from one year to the next - about what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2026). Average class size is 22.3; about 10.1 students per teacher, computed from all-teacher staffing.
Computed from published data with its source and year on every clause - a description, never a grade. How the adjusted view works
Basics
CPS-published · verified Nov 2024
- Address
- 2301 W 21ST PL
- Neighborhood
- Lower West Side
- Phone
- (773)535-7280
- Hours
- Unknown - not verified yet
- Website
- http://www.pickard.cps.edu
- Before and after care
- Unknown - SchoolNav found no before or after care listed for this school. Ask on a tour.
- Arts and creative
Drawing, Crochet, Knitting, Dance, Musicals, Sketching
From the school’s CPS profile, for the 2026-27 school year. Checked Sep 2026. Offerings change each year, so confirm on a tour.
- Sports
Girls' Basketball, Girls' Volleyball, Boys' Track, Boys' Basketball, Boys' Soccer, Girls' Cross Country, Basketball, Flag Football, Soccer, Volleyball
From the school’s CPS profile, for the 2026-27 school year. Checked Sep 2026. Offerings change each year, so confirm on a tour.
- Climate survey
- Unknown - no CPS school ID on record
5Essentials - the latest survey in detail
School Safety, Inquiry-Based Science Instruction, and Math Instruction are rated above the CPS average; Teacher-Teacher Trust and Socialization of New Teachers are rated below it this year.
From the 2026 CPS 5Essentials survey (25-26). Scores are benchmarked 1–99 (not percentages) - higher is stronger, and each is shown against the CPS average that same year. This is a newer survey on a different benchmark than the component levels above, so the two aren’t directly comparable.
Show all measures ▸Hide measures ▾
Ambitious Instruction
79 ▲ above the CPS average (56)- Academic Press· students-reported64 ▲ above the CPS average (53)
- English Instruction· students-reported82 ▲ above the CPS average (59)
- Math Instruction· students-reported87 ▲ above the CPS average (57)
- Quality of Student Discussion· teachers-reported83 ▲ above the CPS average (53)
Supportive Environment
72 ▲ above the CPS average (51)- Academic Personalism· students-reported73 ▲ above the CPS average (51)
- Peer Support for Academic Work· students-reported83 ▲ above the CPS average (53)
- Safety· students-reported64 ▲ above the CPS average (48)
- Student-Teacher Trust· students-reported69 ▲ above the CPS average (50)
Collaborative Teachers
63 ▲ above the CPS average (52)- Collaborative Practices· teachers-reported63 ▲ above the CPS average (57)
- Collective Responsibility· teachers-reported65 ▲ above the CPS average (48)
- Quality Professional Development· teachers-reported79 ▲ above the CPS average (56)
- School Commitment· teachers-reported69 ▲ above the CPS average (48)
- Teacher-Teacher Trust· teachers-reported41 ▼ below the CPS average (51)
Effective Leaders
68 ▲ above the CPS average (52)- Instructional Leadership· teachers-reported72 ▲ above the CPS average (55)
- Program Coherence· teachers-reported68 ▲ above the CPS average (53)
- Teacher Influence· teachers-reported61 ▲ above the CPS average (52)
- Teacher-Principal Trust· teachers-reported71 ▲ above the CPS average (48)
Involved Families
68 ▲ above the CPS average (53)- Parent Influence on Decision Making in Schools· teachers-reported67 ▲ above the CPS average (57)
- Parent Involvement in School· teachers-reported65 ▲ above the CPS average (49)
- Teacher-Parent Trust· teachers-reported73 ▲ above the CPS average (52)
Supplemental measures
Additional survey topics UChicago reports outside the five core measures.
- Academic Engagement· students-reported65 ▲ above the CPS average (57)
- Classroom Disruptions· teachers-reported61 ▲ above the CPS average (48)
- Classroom Rigor· students-reported73 ▲ above the CPS average (53)
- Course Clarity· students-reported75 ▲ above the CPS average (54)
- Emotional Health· students-reported72 ▲ above the CPS average (55)
- Human & Social Resources in the Community· students-reported56 ▲ above the CPS average (47)
- Innovation· teachers-reported51 ▬ about the CPS average (52)
- Inquiry-Based Science Instruction· students-reported90 ▲ above the CPS average (59)
- Parent Supportiveness· students-reported60 ▲ above the CPS average (48)
- Reflective Dialogue· teachers-reported76 ▲ above the CPS average (54)
- Rigorous Study Habits· students-reported46 ▬ about the CPS average (48)
- School Connectedness· students-reported79 ▲ above the CPS average (53)
- School Safety· students-reported90 ▲ above the CPS average (54)
- Socialization of New Teachers· teachers-reported41 ▼ below the CPS average (47)
- Student Peer Relationships· students-reported84 ▲ above the CPS average (54)
- Student Responsibility· teachers-reported73 ▲ above the CPS average (47)
- Teacher Safety· teachers-reported70 ▲ above the CPS average (53)
UChicago Consortium — the 2026 cycle (school year 25-26) is re-benchmarked to spring 2024 (SY25+); it is NOT level-comparable to the spring-2013-benchmarked component levels shown elsewhere.
Pre-K
CPS-published· verified Sep 2026This school has Pre-K. Families apply for Pre-K through Chicago Early Learning, not GoCPS.
Full-day Pre-K · for children age 4
Seats: full, with a waitlist, as of Sep 24, 2026.
- Quality rating
- ExceleRate Gold Circle of Quality
Apply through Chicago Early Learning · How Pre-K applications work
Programs (2)
| Program | Entry grades | How seats are offered | Test required | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
IB Middle Years Programme IB No earlier IB program is needed to apply. | 6–8 | Lottery | No | CPS-published · verified Oct 2026 |
Open Enrollment (general program, seats by lottery) Open enrollment | K–5 | Lottery | No | CPS-published · verified Oct 2026 |
Local School Council
CPS-published· verified Oct 2026The Local School Council is a group of parents, staff, and neighbors who help run this school. They vote on the budget and the school plan. Their meetings are open to the public, so you can go and listen.
Next meetings
- Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 9:30 AM
- Thursday, December 10, 2026 at 9:30 AM
- Wednesday, January 13, 2027 at 9:30 AM
CPS lists the date and time. Ask the school office where the meeting will be held.
Members for 2026 to 2028
- Jennifer McSurley · Principal
- Veronica Cebrero · Parent
- Gabriela Arcadio · Parent
- Catrina Anderson · Parent
- Edith Ocampo · Parent
- Maria Arreola · Parent
- Viviana E Martinez Jimenez · Parent
- Teresa E Gonzalez · Community member
- Yesenia Y Trejo · Community member
- Monica M Ochoa · Teacher
- Elsa Pimentel · Teacher
- Francisca Gonzalez · School staff (non-teaching)
- Kaitlyn Pioquinto · Student
CPS keeps the official list of council meetings and members. See the CPS council list.
Parent questions & conversation
What parents and people who know this school are asking, answering, and talking about - their own words, experiences and opinions rather than verified facts.
Parent notes on this school are visible to signed-in Chicago families. Sign in to read and ask.
SchoolNav is not affiliated with CPS. Details change - each fact above shows when it was last verified. Application decisions should always be confirmed in GoCPS.