William Howard Taft High School
CPS choice · 7-12
At a glance
In 2024–25, 803 applications were recorded for 115 offers (GoCPS, 2024–25 school year - the most recent seat data SchoolNav has).
- Cultural fit
- 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 ‘Neutral’ on the 5Essentials survey (5Essentials spring 2024 survey - benchmarked levels relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages). On the 5Essentials survey, school leadership was rated ‘Neutral’ and teacher collaboration was rated ‘Neutral’ (5Essentials spring 2024 survey - benchmarked levels relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages).
- Social-emotional fit
- The school’s supportive environment was rated ‘Neutral’ 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
- 6530 W BRYN MAWR AVE
- Neighborhood
- Norwood Park
- Phone
- (773)534-1000
- Hours
- Unknown - not verified yet
- Website
- https://tafthighschool.org
- Climate survey
- Involved families
- Neutral
- Supportive environment
- Neutral
- Ambitious instruction
- Neutral
- Effective leaders
- Neutral
- Collaborative teachers
- Neutral
- Safety (student-reported)
- Not published - too few responses or not surveyed
- Overall organization
- Moderately 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, School Commitment, and Human & Social Resources in the Community are rated above the CPS average; Academic Personalism, Math Instruction, 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 ▬ about the CPS average (60)- Academic Press· students-reported51 ▼ below the CPS average (55)
- English Instruction· students-reported66 ▬ about the CPS average (65)
- Math Instruction· students-reported60 ▼ below the CPS average (69)
- Quality of Student Discussion· teachers-reported51 ▬ about the CPS average (50)
Supportive Environment
54 ▬ about the CPS average (56)- Expectations for Postsecondary Education· teachers-reported58 ▬ about the CPS average (56)
- Safety· students-reported48 ▬ about the CPS average (49)
- School-Wide Future Orientation· students-reported56 ▼ below the CPS average (62)
- Student-Teacher Trust· students-reported54 ▬ about the CPS average (56)
Collaborative Teachers
53 ▬ about the CPS average (52)- Collaborative Practices· teachers-reported70 ▲ above the CPS average (63)
- Collective Responsibility· teachers-reported43 ▼ below the CPS average (52)
- Quality Professional Development· teachers-reported49 ▼ below the CPS average (55)
- School Commitment· teachers-reported53 ▲ above the CPS average (43)
- Teacher-Teacher Trust· teachers-reported52 ▬ about the CPS average (49)
Effective Leaders
56 ▲ above the CPS average (52)- Instructional Leadership· teachers-reported60 ▲ above the CPS average (56)
- Program Coherence· teachers-reported54 ▬ about the CPS average (52)
- Teacher Influence· teachers-reported51 ▬ about the CPS average (50)
- Teacher-Principal Trust· teachers-reported59 ▲ above the CPS average (48)
Involved Families
54 ▲ above the CPS average (50)- Parent Influence on Decision Making in Schools· teachers-reported56 ▬ about the CPS average (53)
- Parent Involvement in School· teachers-reported53 ▲ above the CPS average (49)
- Teacher-Parent Trust· teachers-reported53 ▬ about the CPS average (50)
Supplemental measures
Additional survey topics UChicago reports outside the five core measures.
- Academic Engagement· students-reported64 ▼ below the CPS average (70)
- Academic Personalism· students-reported47 ▼ below the CPS average (58)
- Classroom Disruptions· teachers-reported48 ▲ above the CPS average (42)
- Classroom Rigor· students-reported54 ▬ about the CPS average (57)
- Course Clarity· students-reported48 ▼ below the CPS average (54)
- Emotional Health· students-reported63 ▲ above the CPS average (57)
- Human & Social Resources in the Community· students-reported48 ▲ above the CPS average (38)
- Importance of High School for the Future· students-reported58 ▼ below the CPS average (67)
- Innovation· teachers-reported51 ▼ below the CPS average (56)
- Inquiry-Based Science Instruction· students-reported59 ▬ about the CPS average (59)
- Parent Supportiveness· students-reported43 ▬ about the CPS average (41)
- Reflective Dialogue· teachers-reported67 ▲ above the CPS average (61)
- Rigorous Study Habits· students-reported56 ▬ about the CPS average (57)
- School Connectedness· students-reported58 ▬ about the CPS average (58)
- School Safety· students-reported49 ▼ below the CPS average (57)
- Socialization of New Teachers· teachers-reported47 ▲ above the CPS average (40)
- Student Peer Relationships· students-reported60 ▼ below the CPS average (65)
- Student Responsibility· teachers-reported36 ▬ about the CPS average (38)
- Teacher Safety· teachers-reported40 ▼ below the CPS average (48)
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 (4)
| Program | Entry grades | How seats are offered | Test required | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Academic Center Selective enrollment | 7–8 | Screening | Yes | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
General Education Neighborhood | 9 | Lottery | No | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
International Baccalaureate (IB) IB | 9 | Point-based | Yes | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
Significantly Modified Curriculum w/Intensive Supports Special education | 9 | Lottery | No | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
Cutoff history
What it took to receive an initial offer here in each cycle CPS has published - by tier for Selective Enrollment, and on the citywide points line for points-based Choice programs. History is context - it can’t predict a future cutoff.
Academic Center
| Cycle | Rank min | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4 | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | 545 | 325 | 482.5 | 512.5 | 540 | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
| 2025-26 | 552.5 | 325 | 490 | 527.5 | 547.5 | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
| 2024-25 | 542.5 | 342.5 | 477.5 | 505 | 532.5 | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
| 2023-24 | 564 | - | 435 | 522 | 549 | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
| 2022-23 | 552 | 339 | 429 | 522 | 531 | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
Minimum point totals from CPS’s published initial offers - waitlist movement can lower what it actually took, and cutoffs move year to year. Within the current-test cycles above, a tier’s minimum has shifted by as much as 42.5 points from one cycle to the next - treat any single year as a snapshot, not a target.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
| Cycle | Min points | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | 796 | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
| 2025-26 | 811 | CPS-published · verified Oct 2025 |
| 2024-25 | 816 | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
Minimum point totals from CPS’s published initial offers - points-based Choice programs use one citywide points line (no tiers). Waitlist movement can lower what it actually took, and cutoffs move year to year. Within the current-test cycles above, the minimum has shifted by as much as 15 points from one cycle to the next - treat any single year as a snapshot, not a target.
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.