Strong reading skills help students perform better on science tests, a Catalyst
analysis of ISAT scores suggests. Below are the 10 high-poverty neighborhood
schools with the best and worst scores on the 7 th-grade ISAT science test
for 2003. (High-poverty is defined as having a low-income enrollment of
90 percent or more.) Catalyst obtained preliminary 2004 scores
at press time; an analysis of those scores showed that only three schools
in each category remained the same.

Top 10 in science

Science
(Meets standards)
Reading
(At or above average)
Haines*

81%

68%
McClellan
81%
73%
Holden
75%
51%
Ward, L.
73%
35%
Columbia
73%
36%
Taylor
72%
59%
Burroughs
72%
60%
Guggenheim
71%
54%
Ravenswood*
71%
64%
Kellman*
69%
71%

Bottom 10 in science

Science
(Meets standards)
Reading
(At or above average)
Bethune*

19%

19%
Delano

21%
11%
Bunche*
22%
23%
Schiller
22%
24%
Grant
24%
17%
Aldridge
24%
17%
Fulton
24%
29%
Parkman
26%
16%
Johns
27%
17%
Libby*
27%
24%

Source: Catalyst analysis of Chicago Public Schools data

Note: The science test is from the Illinois Standards Achievement Test; the reading test is from the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills.

* in the same category in 2004 based on preliminary test results

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