How Black Students Performed On 2013 ISTEP Tests In Indy Area School Districts & Charters

Despite the problems with the 2013 ISTEP tests in Indiana, African-American public school students in Indianapolis/Marion County continued to improve in the annual achievement tests conducted for third through eighth graders in Indiana’s schools. The analysis of 2013 ISTEP data by PraiseIndy.com revealed that 61.0% of city/county African-American public school students passed their grade’s benchmark ISTEP tests in English/Language Arts (ELA) and 65.5% passed their grade’s ISTEP Math benchmarks.

Statewide, 61.3% of African-American students passed ISTEP ELA while 63.1% passed ISTEP Math. Black students in Indy fall just a hair below the statewide mark in ELA; but continue to exceed the statewide mark in Math. In 2012, 60.7% of Black students passed ISTEP ELA and 62.0% passed Math. The year before, 2011, 58.3% of Indy’s Black students passed ISTEP ELA and Math respectively.

Again this year, ISTEP performance for African-American students in every school corporation and charter school in Indianapolis/Marion County and in some of the suburban counties was analyzed. Charters and districts analyzed were those that had at least fifty Black third through eighth graders taking the ISTEP tests last March. Among the major findings:

IPS: While Black students’ scores in IPS remain behind the statewide passing total for Blacks; Black students in IPS continued to improve in Math while being stagnant in ELA. This year, 52.9% of Black IPS students passed ELA and 58.3% passed Math. In 2012, 52.8% of Black IPS students passed ELA and 55.1% passed Math. The year before (2011), 50.8% passed ELA and 49.6% passed math. Of the districts and charters analyzed, IPS was had the seventh lowest Black ISTEP passing in ELA and the eighth lowest in Math.

Black students in Indianapolis’ charter schools fared better as 64.3% passed ELA and 63.4% passed math. While Black students in Indianapolis’ township districts fared better with 65.2% passing ELA and 69.9% passing Math. Indianapolis charter schools and suburban districts again led the way on the list of districts and schools where African-American students excelled best in the 2013 ISTEP Tests.

In English/Language Arts (ELA), Black students at Flanner House Elementary, one of the city’s original charter schools, were virtually perfect with 98.8% passing. Followed by: Charles Tindley (85.3%), the new all male Charles Tindley Prep (84.0%), Carmel/Clay (83.9%); Plainfield (83.0%); Southeast School of Excellence (82.4%); Brownsburg (81.8%); Hamilton Southeastern (81.6%); Christel House Academy (79.3%) and Clark Pleasant (78.6%).

In Math, Flanner House Elementary again led the way with 97.6% passing. Followed by: Charles Tindley (92.6%), Charles Tindley Prep (91.4%), Plainfield (91.7%); Brownsburg (86.4%); Carmel/Clay (84.7%); Avon (80.8%); Clark Pleasant (80.4%); Hamilton Southeastern (79.3%) and Speedway (78.4%).

African-American students in the city/county’s ten township school districts showed a mixed record of performance in ISTEP. Franklin and Pike Townships had the best performance as 68.9% of their Black students passed ISTEP ELA. Followed by Washington Township (68.7%); Perry (68.3%); Speedway (67.2%); Lawrence (63.7%); Warren (63.2%); Decatur (61.6%); Wayne (60.7%) and Beech Grove (59.4%).

In Math, Speedway had the best African-American student ISTEP performance with 78.4% passing. Followed by: Franklin Township (73.3%); Pike (73.1%); Beech Grove (72.9%); Warren (70.9%); Washington (70.8%); Lawrence (70.0%); Perry (65.1%); Decatur (64.7%) and Wayne (63.7%).

The three takeover schools with seventh and eighth graders scored the poorest results for African-American students. Emma Donnan Middle School and the middle school students at Arlington and Howe High Schools were the three worst performers in both ELA and Math ISTEP scores.  All three schools are supervised by the Mayor’s Charter School office. In English Language Arts the lowest performing schools and districts for African-Americans were: Emma Donnan (24.8%), Arlington (27.6%) and Howe (28.0%). Followed by two schools utilizing “virtual” learning classes. Hoosier Academy Virtual Charter (41.7%) and Hoosier Academy which combined classroom and virtual classes (50.0%). In Math, the lowest performing schools for African-American ISTEP scores were: Emma Donnan (24.2%); Hoosier Academy Virtual (35.4%); Howe (35.9%); Arlington (38.6%) and Fall Creek Academy (49.4%).