Observed arrival · 2026-11-12
Chicago Schools Explorer
An interactive map for exploring 636 Chicago public schools by neighborhood, school level, and two different measures of school experience and outcomes.
○Open
⊠Login
$Paid
†Ads
✦Pretty
●Pro
◎Niche
◉Human
⚑Risk
ƒJS
- For
- Chicago families comparing neighborhood public schools
- Worth noticing
- It pairs annual 5Essentials student-and-teacher survey levels with state ratings; the page says the survey does not publish a definition for each level.
Field notes
The controls let visitors filter by neighborhood, school level, school type, and either rating system, with an option to find nearby schools. The page distinguishes the annual 5Essentials survey from the state’s yearly report card and links to source material, including a technical appendix. It notes that the map is unofficial and that 5Essentials does not publish definitions for its rating levels.
Observed signals
Read the marks
Editorial observations of this landing page, not a rating.
○OpenPublic substance visible
✦PrettyNotable craft visible
●ProPolished or operationally mature
◎NicheUnusually specific use
◉HumanPersonal, local, civic, or handmade
One card from the complete issue