Middle Schools in Indianapolis Public Schools

The Indianapolis Public Schools district is home to 5 middle schools, serving students in grades 6-8. These schools demonstrate a wide range of academic performance, with Merle Sidener Gifted Academy consistently ranking among the top middle schools in the state, while other schools struggle to meet state standards.

Merle Sidener Gifted Academy stands out as the clear academic leader, with exceptional proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies that far exceed the district and state averages. In contrast, Northwest Community Middle School and Arlington Community Middle School rank near the bottom of Indiana middle schools, indicating a need for additional support and resources to improve student outcomes.

The district's middle schools serve a predominantly economically disadvantaged student population, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 45.39% at Merle Sidener Gifted Academy to 77.94% at H L Harshman Middle School. This suggests the district faces unique challenges in addressing the needs of its students, and the variation in spending per student and student-teacher ratios across the schools may indicate a lack of equitable resource allocation.