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John Harvard Elementary School of Excellence

CPS choice · PK,K-8

CPS-published· verified Oct 2026

At a glance

For students with IEPs, 16% spend most of the school day in general classrooms, below what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2025).

Cultural fit
43% of students were chronically absent in 2025 - above what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2025).
Academic performance
The state's 2025 summative designation is Targeted - ISBE has identified the school for additional support (ISBE Report Card 2025).
Academic fit
67% of teachers stayed from one year to the next - below what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2025).

Computed from published data with its source and year on every clause - a description, never a grade.

Basics

CPS-published · verified Nov 2024

Address
7525 S HARVARD
Neighborhood
Greater Grand Crossing
Phone
(773)535-3045
Hours
Unknown - not verified yet
Website
https://harvardcougars.org
Before and after care

After care until 6:00 PM. Run by Right At School. After care costs $391 a month for 5 days a week.

From the program’s own page. Checked Sep 2026. Hours, prices and space change, so confirm with the school.

Arts and creative

Band/Orchestra, Student Art Club, Percussion, Guitar, Choir/Chorus, Piano/Keyboard, Recorder

From the school’s CPS profile, for the 2026-27 school year. Checked Sep 2026. Offerings change each year, so confirm on a tour.

Sports

Football, Girls' Basketball, Girls' Soccer, Girls' Volleyball, Boys' Track, Baseball, Boys' Basketball, Boys' Volleyball, Girls' Cross Country, Basketball, Flag Football, Girls on Track, Soccer, Boys' Cross Country, Girls' Track, Volleyball

From the school’s CPS profile, for the 2026-27 school year. Checked Sep 2026. Offerings change each year, so confirm on a tour.

Climate survey
Involved families
Weak
Supportive environment
Weak
Ambitious instruction
Neutral
Effective leaders
Neutral
Collaborative teachers
Neutral
Safety (student-reported)
Very Weak
Overall organization
Partially Organized

UChicago 5Essentials levels from the spring 2024 survey (CPS Progress Reports SY2425, verified 2026-09-25) - benchmarked categories relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages. A school can answer mostly positively and still rate below the benchmark typical.

5Essentials - the latest survey in detail

Math Instruction, Program Coherence, and English Instruction are rated above the CPS average; Student Responsibility, Teacher-Parent Trust, and Safety 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 ▸

Ambitious Instruction

60 ▲ above the CPS average (56)

Supportive Environment

47 ▼ below the CPS average (51)

Collaborative Teachers

53 ▬ about the CPS average (52)

Effective Leaders

57 ▲ above the CPS average (52)

Involved Families

42 ▼ below the CPS average (53)

Supplemental measures

Additional survey topics UChicago reports outside the five core measures.

CPS-published · verified Jul 2026Response rates: students 100%, teachers 91%, parents 0%Full 2026 measures report (UChicago)

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.

Pre-K

CPS-published· verified Sep 2026

This school has Pre-K. Families apply for Pre-K through Chicago Early Learning, not GoCPS.

  • Full-day Pre-K · for children age 4

    Seats: full, with a waitlist, as of Sep 24, 2026.

Quality rating
ExceleRate Gold Circle of Quality

Apply through Chicago Early Learning · How Pre-K applications work

Programs (1)

ProgramEntry gradesHow seats are offeredTest requiredEvidence

Open Enrollment (general program, seats by lottery)

Open enrollment

K–8Lottery
NoCPS-published · verified Oct 2026

Local School Council

CPS-published· verified Oct 2026

The Local School Council is a group of parents, staff, and neighbors who help run this school. They vote on the budget and the school plan. Their meetings are open to the public, so you can go and listen.

Next meetings

CPS has not posted any upcoming meetings for this council yet.

CPS lists the date and time. Ask the school office where the meeting will be held.

Members for 2026 to 2028

  • Aisha K McCarthy · Principal
  • Irma Gutierrez · Parent
  • Tangie Lucas · Parent
  • Danika Webster · Parent
  • walter hampton · Parent
  • cheryl smith · Parent
  • Gabriel Payton · Community member
  • Jermaine Kelly · Community member
  • Logan Angela · Teacher
  • Valerie Bryant · Teacher
  • Pealock Shivers · School staff (non-teaching)
  • Juwan M Crosby · Student

CPS keeps the official list of council meetings and members. See the CPS council list.

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.