Northwest Middle School
CPS choice · 6-8
At a glance
The state's 2025 summative designation is Targeted - ISBE has identified the school for additional support (ISBE Report Card 2025). In 2024–25, 13 applications were recorded for 12 offers (GoCPS, 2024–25 school year - the most recent seat data SchoolNav has).
- Cultural fit
- 40% of students were chronically absent in 2025 - about what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2025). Family involvement was rated ‘Neutral’ on the 5Essentials survey (5Essentials spring 2024 survey - benchmarked levels relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages).
- Academic fit
- Instruction was rated ‘Weak’ on the 5Essentials survey (5Essentials spring 2024 survey - benchmarked levels relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages).
- Social-emotional fit
- The school’s supportive environment was rated ‘Weak’ 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
- 5252 W PALMER ST
- Neighborhood
- Belmont Cragin
- Phone
- (773)534-3250
- Hours
- Unknown - not verified yet
- Website
- https://northwest.cps.edu
- Climate survey
- Involved families
- Neutral
- Supportive environment
- Weak
- Ambitious instruction
- Weak
- Effective leaders
- Neutral
- Collaborative teachers
- Weak
- Safety (student-reported)
- Very Weak
- Overall organization
- Not Yet 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
Teacher-Principal Trust is rated above the CPS average; Academic Press, Collaborative Practices, and Collective Responsibility 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
57 ▼ below the CPS average (70)- Academic Press· students-reported39 ▼ below the CPS average (64)
- English Instruction· students-reported77 ▬ about the CPS average (79)
- Math Instruction· students-reported52 ▼ below the CPS average (68)
- Quality of Student Discussion· teachers-reported58 ▼ below the CPS average (67)
Supportive Environment
54 ▼ below the CPS average (64)- Academic Personalism· students-reported58 ▼ below the CPS average (66)
- Peer Support for Academic Work· students-reported49 ▼ below the CPS average (68)
- Safety· students-reported46 ▼ below the CPS average (55)
- Student-Teacher Trust· students-reported61 ▼ below the CPS average (65)
Collaborative Teachers
54 ▼ below the CPS average (70)- Collaborative Practices· teachers-reported54 ▼ below the CPS average (76)
- Collective Responsibility· teachers-reported50 ▼ below the CPS average (71)
- Quality Professional Development· teachers-reported68 ▼ below the CPS average (77)
- School Commitment· teachers-reported45 ▼ below the CPS average (56)
- Teacher-Teacher Trust· teachers-reported55 ▼ below the CPS average (70)
Effective Leaders
67 ▬ about the CPS average (66)- Instructional Leadership· teachers-reported70 ▬ about the CPS average (72)
- Program Coherence· teachers-reported75 ▬ about the CPS average (74)
- Teacher Influence· teachers-reported63 ▬ about the CPS average (63)
- Teacher-Principal Trust· teachers-reported59 ▲ above the CPS average (54)
Involved Families
60 ▼ below the CPS average (68)- Parent Influence on Decision Making in Schools· teachers-reported70 ▼ below the CPS average (78)
- Parent Involvement in School· teachers-reported60 ▬ about the CPS average (60)
- Teacher-Parent Trust· teachers-reported50 ▼ below the CPS average (65)
Supplemental measures
Additional survey topics UChicago reports outside the five core measures.
- Academic Engagement· students-reported76 ▼ below the CPS average (85)
- Classroom Disruptions· teachers-reported45 ▼ below the CPS average (57)
- Classroom Rigor· students-reported46 ▼ below the CPS average (65)
- Course Clarity· students-reported47 ▼ below the CPS average (63)
- Emotional Health· students-reported58 ▼ below the CPS average (74)
- Human & Social Resources in the Community· students-reported33 ▼ below the CPS average (40)
- Innovation· teachers-reported60 ▼ below the CPS average (79)
- Inquiry-Based Science Instruction· students-reported51 ▼ below the CPS average (59)
- Parent Supportiveness· students-reported24 ▼ below the CPS average (32)
- Reflective Dialogue· teachers-reported60 ▼ below the CPS average (74)
- Rigorous Study Habits· students-reported28 ▼ below the CPS average (39)
- School Connectedness· students-reported58 ▼ below the CPS average (68)
- School Safety· students-reported48 ▼ below the CPS average (62)
- Socialization of New Teachers· teachers-reported49 ▼ below the CPS average (53)
- Student Peer Relationships· students-reported60 ▼ below the CPS average (68)
- Student Responsibility· teachers-reported40 ▼ below the CPS average (53)
- Teacher Safety· teachers-reported59 ▼ below 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 | 6–8 | 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.
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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.