Mary E McDowell Elementary School
CPS choice · PK,K-5
At a glance
Instruction was rated ‘Very Strong’ on the 5Essentials survey (5Essentials spring 2024 survey - benchmarked levels relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages). 92% of students with IEPs spend most of the school day in general classrooms - above what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2025). 74% of teachers stayed from one year to the next - below what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2025). In 2024–25, 29 applications were recorded for 0 offers (GoCPS, 2024–25 school year - the most recent seat data SchoolNav has).
- Cultural fit
- 17% of students were chronically absent in 2025 - below what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2025).
- Academic performance
- 32% of students met or exceeded standards on the 2025 IAR - in the middle 50% of CPS elementary schools with published results (ISBE Report Card 2025). Year-over-year student growth was at the 48th percentile statewide in ELA and the 29th in math (ISBE Report Card 2025).
- Academic fit
- Instruction was rated ‘Very Strong’ on the 5Essentials survey (5Essentials spring 2024 survey - benchmarked levels relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages). 74% of teachers stayed from one year to the next - below what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2025).
- Social-emotional fit
- 92% of students with IEPs spend most of the school day in general classrooms - above what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2025). The school’s supportive environment was rated ‘Strong’ on the 5Essentials survey (5Essentials spring 2024 survey - benchmarked levels relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages).
Computed from published data with its source and year on every clause - a description, never a grade.
Basics
- Address
- 1419 E 89TH ST
- Neighborhood
- Calumet Heights
- Phone
- (773)535-6404
- Hours
- Unknown - not verified yet
- Climate survey
- Involved families
- Neutral
- Supportive environment
- Strong
- Ambitious instruction
- Very Strong
- Effective leaders
- Strong
- Collaborative teachers
- Neutral
- Safety (student-reported)
- Very Strong
- Overall organization
- Well Organized
UChicago 5Essentials levels from the spring 2024 survey (CPS Progress Reports SY2425, verified 2026-09-16) - benchmarked categories relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages. A school can answer mostly positively and still rate below the benchmark typical.
Full 2024 report (UChicago)- the survey these levels come from·2026 report- newer survey, new benchmark
5Essentials - the latest survey in detail
English Instruction, Academic Press, and Math Instruction are rated above the CPS average; Reflective Dialogue and Collaborative Practices 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
87 ▲ above the CPS average (62)- Academic Press· students-reported77 ▲ above the CPS average (55)
- English Instruction· students-reported99 ▲ above the CPS average (67)
- Math Instruction· students-reported84 ▲ above the CPS average (62)
- Quality of Student Discussion· teachers-reportednot enough responses
Supportive Environment
67 ▲ above the CPS average (50)- Academic Personalism· students-reported72 ▲ above the CPS average (55)
- Peer Support for Academic Work· students-reported67 ▲ above the CPS average (58)
- Safety· students-reported59 ▲ above the CPS average (38)
- Student-Teacher Trust· students-reported69 ▲ above the CPS average (48)
Collaborative Teachers
68 ▲ above the CPS average (59)- Collaborative Practices· teachers-reported52 ▼ below the CPS average (61)
- Collective Responsibility· teachers-reported72 ▲ above the CPS average (56)
- Quality Professional Development· teachers-reported77 ▲ above the CPS average (69)
- School Commitment· teachers-reported63 ▲ above the CPS average (56)
- Teacher-Teacher Trust· teachers-reported76 ▲ above the CPS average (55)
Effective Leaders
66 ▲ above the CPS average (62)- Instructional Leadership· teachers-reported67 ▲ above the CPS average (63)
- Program Coherence· teachers-reported67 ▬ about the CPS average (67)
- Teacher Influence· teachers-reported70 ▬ about the CPS average (67)
- Teacher-Principal Trust· teachers-reported59 ▲ above the CPS average (51)
Involved Families
62 ▬ about the CPS average (62)- Parent Influence on Decision Making in Schools· teachers-reported70 ▬ about the CPS average (72)
- Parent Involvement in School· teachers-reported57 ▬ about the CPS average (57)
- Teacher-Parent Trust· teachers-reported58 ▬ about the CPS average (57)
Supplemental measures
Additional survey topics UChicago reports outside the five core measures.
- Academic Engagement· students-reported72 ▲ above the CPS average (63)
- Classroom Disruptions· teachers-reportednot enough responses
- Classroom Rigor· students-reported70 ▲ above the CPS average (55)
- Course Clarity· students-reportednot enough responses
- Emotional Health· students-reportednot enough responses
- Human & Social Resources in the Community· students-reportednot enough responses
- Innovation· teachers-reported79 ▲ above the CPS average (65)
- Inquiry-Based Science Instruction· students-reportednot enough responses
- Parent Supportiveness· students-reportednot enough responses
- Reflective Dialogue· teachers-reported43 ▼ below the CPS average (60)
- Rigorous Study Habits· students-reported65 ▲ above the CPS average (52)
- School Connectedness· students-reported59 ▲ above the CPS average (47)
- School Safety· students-reportednot enough responses
- Socialization of New Teachers· teachers-reported58 ▲ above the CPS average (46)
- Student Peer Relationships· students-reported53 ▬ about the CPS average (56)
- Student Responsibility· teachers-reportednot enough responses
- Teacher Safety· teachers-reported79 ▲ above the CPS average (68)
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.
Programs (1)
| Program | Entry grades | How seats are offered | Test required | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Open Enrollment Open enrollment | K–5 | Lottery | No | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
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.