INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Public Schools Board received a formal proposal Tuesday night that could return middle schools to the district.
Call 6 Investigator Rafael Sanchez first reported last month on the proposal, which would move middle school students currently attending one of six high schools and instead send them to a dedicated school of their own.
CALL 6 | Proposal could return middle schools to IPS
The proposal, prepared by IPS Deputy Superintendent for Academics Dr. Wanda H. Legrand, cites feedback from surveys and town hall meetings, as well as generally poor performance scores at high schools that currently have middle school students.
Of four high schools highlighted by the report – Broad Ripple, George Washington, John Marshall and Northwest – only Broad Ripple's high school students earned above a "D" in the state's A-F accountability ratings between 2012-2015. All of the schools' middle school students earned an "F" grade each of the years over that same timeframe.
Broad Ripple was the exception in most of the stats, consistently reporting high graduation rates (93.6%, 91.5% and 88.5% between 2012-2015) and high Algebra and English end of course assessment scores compared to the other three schools.
Instead of "community high schools" – the district's term for combined middle and high schools – the report proposes separating out middle school students and converting high schools to "choice academies," which would function like magnet schools.
RTV6's Sanchez reported last month that if approved, the plan could potentially close come of the district's high schools as part of the reorganization process.
The IPS Board received the proposal Tuesday, but took no action on it. Board members are expected to consider the proposal before making any decision about implementation.
Find the full proposal submitted Tuesday below:
