Innovation in the Heartland

Statewide SAT college-readiness rates decreased from spring 2022 to spring 2023 for Indiana students. Most of the 11 school districts in Marion County, where Indianapolis is located, also saw declines. This was true for the county’s largest school district, Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), where only seven Black students in high schools managed directly by the district demonstrated college-readiness on the SAT. Seven. 

But there is good news: Students in Indianapolis charter schools drove outsized college-readiness gains that bucked both local and statewide trends. The gains for Indianapolis students who attend innovation charter high schools were particularly impressive. As a group, innovation charter schools increased their college-readiness rates by 10.6 percentage points from the previous year, from 20.8 percent to 31.4 percent. These schools now surpass state averages for virtually every student group, including Black, Latino, and special education students.