Summary
Arlington Middle School - a STEM School is a grades 6–8 middle school in Indianapolis, IN, serving 365 students as part of Indianapolis Public Schools. It ranks 480th of 486 Indiana middle schools in 2025–2026 (1st percentile, 0 stars) and has consistently been in the bottom 0–4% of the state. Core proficiency is extremely low: ELA 4.9%, Math 2.59%, and Science 0% for all grades. Grade 6 is weakest (ELA 0.99%, Math 0.98%, Science 0%). Despite its STEM name, science proficiency dropped from 7.53% in 2024–2025 to 0% in 2025–2026.
Nearby comparisons are striking. H. L. Harshman Middle School, 1.21 miles away and in the same district, ranks 63/486 with 4 stars, ELA 60.15%, Math 48.81%, Science 46.5%, and 8.4% chronic absenteeism—far above the school’s 35.5% rate. H.W. Longfellow Middle School - an IB World School, also same-district and 0 stars, ranks 474/486 but still outperforms in ELA, Math, and Science. The school spends $27,043 per student, more than Beech Grove Middle School ($13,947), Speedway Junior High School ($12,713), Avondale Meadows Middle School ($13,343), KIPP Indy College Prep Middle ($15,077), and Paramount Englewood ($15,153), and its student-teacher ratio of 11.9 is lower than many peers. Poverty alone does not explain results: KIPP Indy College Prep Middle (98.92% free/reduced lunch) and Avondale Meadows Middle School (95.31%) still outperform the school, and KIPP has similar chronic absenteeism (36.1%) but higher proficiency.
Attendance has improved since 2021–22 (77.9% to 35.5%), but achievement has not followed; ELA fell and Math stayed flat. Biology End-of-Course was 20%, near the district’s 20.07% but below the 2024–2025 state average of 45.6%. Overall, this is a deep academic crisis, and the STEM identity is not reflected in science achievement. The data suggests improvement requires targeted changes in instruction, attendance, and school culture—not simply more money or smaller classes.
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