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Parents: what's one thing you'd want the American Dreamer STEM Academy administration to hear?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
423
Elementary
DISTRICT 455 · STATE 381
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·DECATUR SD 61·NCES 171185001406
American Dreamer STEM Academy
2115 S Taylor Rd, Decatur, IL 62521 · (217) 362-3380 · Macon County
GRADES KG–08ELEMENTARY13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL423 STUDENTS
D
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 5% of Illinois public elementary schools
- FTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- C-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Illinois public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
15.1:1
28 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 18.3:1 · STATE 13.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
89%
377 students
DISTRICT 81% · STATE 56%
Community
4
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 46 | 11% |
| Grade 1 | 47 | 11% |
| Grade 2 | 44 | 10% |
| Grade 3 | 51 | 12% |
| Grade 4 | 44 | 10% |
| Grade 5 | 47 | 11% |
| Grade 6 | 53 | 13% |
| Grade 7 | 49 | 12% |
| Grade 8 | 42 | 10% |
This year's kindergarten class (46) is 10% larger than its 8th grade class (42).
Student demographics
51%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 65% · STATE 69% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
IAR + ISA 2024-25 . % Proficient (Levels 4-5)English Language Arts
16.5%
IL avg 51.0% . +7.4pp since 2023
Math
5.5%
IL avg 37.9% . +3.2pp since 2023
What this means: On the IAR + ISA, Illinois's statewide test, about 17 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 6 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Illinois schools, those numbers are about 51 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 7 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 3 points.
IAR + ISA results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 16.5% | 5.5% |
| 2023-24 | 9.1% | 2.3% |
% Proficient (Levels 4-5), all students and all tested grades.
Source: IAR + ISA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
11.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
20.1%
based on IL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-8.3pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 12% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 20% typical for Illinois schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Illinois's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like American Dreamer STEM Academy
American Dreamer STEM Academy's state test result (11.8% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Dreamer STEM Academy this school | 423 | 89.1% | 11.8% |
| Dr Preston L Williams Jr Elementary School Urbana | 399 | 88.5% | 7.3% |
| Dr Maude A Sanders Primary School Peoria | 442 | 87.8% | 16.8% |
| Harvard Park Elementary School Springfield | 370 | 87.6% | 11.8% |
| Hines Primary School Peoria | 403 | 88.8% | 20.6% |
| Hope Academy Decatur | 501 | 93.8% | 3.3% |
Matched among Illinois elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where American Dreamer STEM Academy ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Illinois | In Macon County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 11.8% | #1,846 of 1,925 | #10 of 16 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 5.5% | #2,020 of 2,077 ▼ 9 | #12 of 16 no change |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 16.5% | #1,990 of 2,077 ▼ 35 | #10 of 16 ▼ 1 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 423 | #892 of 2,419 | #11 of 19 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.1:1 | #1,556 of 2,035 | #5 of 18 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 50.9% | #898 of 2,042 | #11 of 18 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 89.1% | #300 of 2,132 | #4 of 19 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +44.4% | #36 of 615 | #4 of 10 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
423
+43 (+11%) vs 2020
+48% since 1990-91, when it was 285
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 423 | 28 | 15.1:1 | 89% (377) |
| 2023-24 | 364 | 26 | 14.0:1 | 77% (281) |
| 2022-23 | 391 | 19 | 20.6:1 | 90% (352) |
| 2020-21 | 380 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 293 | 19.5 | 15.0:1 | 88% (259) |
| 2015-16 | 304 | 12 | 25.3:1 | 82% (248) |
| 2010-11 | 320 | 15 | 21.3:1 | 76% (243) |
| 2000-01 | 382 | 20 | 19.1:1 | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 285 | 15 | 19.0:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for American Dreamer STEM Academy.
Since 2017-18: students up 44% (293 to 423); teachers up 44% (19.5 to 28).
About American Dreamer STEM Academy
American Dreamer STEM Academy is the name of a medium-sized elementary school in Decatur, Illinois. Students in kindergarten through 8 attend the school, which enrolls 423 students.
Decatur SD 61 is made up of 15 schools with 7,840 students in all.
A majority of students at American Dreamer STEM Academy, 67%, are Black. The rest of enrollment is 17% White, 14% multiracial, and 3% Hispanic. Among all residents of Macon County, the Black share is about 16%. By the diversity index, American Dreamer STEM Academy comes in at 51%.
Its 28 full-time-equivalent teachers give the school a ratio of 15.1:1. That ratio is over the 13.9:1 average for elementary schools in Illinois. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is 89%. The rate at public schools in Macon County averages 61%, lower than here.
The allk12 Grade for American Dreamer STEM Academy is D. Compared with Illinois public elementary schools, the school scored higher than 5% on a mix of test scores, poverty-adjusted results, and recent trend.
Predicted from its free or reduced-price lunch share, American Dreamer STEM Academy would score about 20.1%. It scores 11.8%, 8.3 points below that figure.
American Dreamer STEM Academy is located in Macon County, where median household income is about $62,666, 24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 10% of people live in poverty. Federal data list 43 public schools in Macon County, with a combined enrollment of about 14,702.
Dennis Lab School is located about 1.3 miles from American Dreamer STEM Academy. Other public schools within five miles: at least 8. The school's 11.8% average proficiency ranks 4th among 9 nearby schools.
In the federal locale system, American Dreamer STEM Academy is coded City: Small, for schools inside a principal city with a population under 100,000.
American Dreamer STEM Academy had 380 students in 2020-21 and 423 in 2024-25, an 11% rise.
Community posts for American Dreamer STEM Academy can cover science fairs, picture day, and bus routes. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Macon County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
101,849
Census ACS
Median income
$62,666
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
24%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
43
14,702 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Decatur SD 61
- MacArthur High SchoolHigh · 1,059 students
- Eisenhower High SchoolHigh · 909 students
- Johns Hill Magnet SchoolElementary · 627 students
- Montessori Academy for PeaceElementary · 586 students
- Dennis Lab SchoolElementary · 579 students
- Parsons Elementary SchoolElementary · 505 students
Other schools in Decatur
- MacArthur High SchoolHigh · 1,059 students
- Eisenhower High SchoolHigh · 909 students
- Johns Hill Magnet SchoolElementary · 627 students
- Montessori Academy for PeaceElementary · 586 students
- Dennis Lab SchoolElementary · 579 students
- Parsons Elementary SchoolElementary · 505 students
Nearby schools
- Dennis Lab School1.3 mi · 579
- South Shores Elementary School1.7 mi · 335
- Johns Hill Magnet School2.6 mi · 627
- MacArthur High School2.6 mi · 1,059
- Eisenhower High School2.7 mi · 909
- Hope Academy3.2 mi · 501
Frequently asked questions
About American Dreamer STEM AcademyHow large is American Dreamer STEM Academy?
American Dreamer STEM Academy enrolls approximately 423 students in grades KG-08.
What grades does American Dreamer STEM Academy serve?
American Dreamer STEM Academy serves grades KG-08.
How many students per teacher at American Dreamer STEM Academy?
Approximately 15.1:1 students per teacher at American Dreamer STEM Academy.
How diverse is American Dreamer STEM Academy?
American Dreamer STEM Academy reports a student body of 17% White, 3% Hispanic, 67% Black, 14% Two or more.
Who oversees American Dreamer STEM Academy?
American Dreamer STEM Academy is overseen by Decatur SD 61 in Macon County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.