2025 ILEARN: Indy charter and IPS innovation schools show positive proficiency trajectory
Each year, The Mind Trust analyzes state assessment results to understand where the education community should continue to focus efforts to drive student achievement. The ILEARN assessment measures English Language Arts (ELA) and math proficiency for students in grades 3-8. Indianapolis charter and Indianapolis Public School (IPS) innovation network schools once again achieved notable proficiency and growth results.
Independent charter schools outperform some state and all district proficiency rates
Indianapolis independent charter schools achieved strong results across multiple student groups:
- Independent charter schools in Indianapolis had higher proficiency rates than their IPS operated school peers on overall proficiency and pass rates for the individual ELA and math tests.
- Black, Latino, low-income, and English Language Learner (ELL) Indianapolis independent charter school students outperformed their IPS-operated school peers on overall proficiency and pass rates for the individual ELA and math tests.
- Black Indianapolis charter school students outperformed the state average for overall proficiency and for the individual ELA and math tests.
Additionally, independent charter schools outperformed the majority of Marion County districts in proficiency for several student groups:
- Black Indianapolis charter school students had higher proficiency rates than their peers at 10 of the 11 Marion County school districts.
- Latino Indianapolis charter school students had higher proficiency rates than their peers at 9 of the 11 Marion County school districts.
- Indianapolis charter school students who qualify for free or reduced lunch (FRL) had higher proficiency rates than their peers at 8 of the 11 Marion County school districts.
- English Language Learner (ELL) Indianapolis charter school students had higher proficiency rates than their peers at 8 of the 11 Marion County school districts.
Independent charter and IPS innovation network schools are some of the top-performing schools within IPS boundaries:
- Out of the top 15 open enrollment schools for Black student proficiency, 10 are independent charter or IPS innovation schools.
- Out of the top 15 open enrollment schools for Latino student proficiency, 9 are independent charter or IPS innovation schools.
- Out of the top 15 open enrollment schools for low-income student proficiency, 9 are independent charter or IPS innovation schools.
Within IPS, innovation schools make larger year-to-year learning gains
Within IPS, innovation schools are bright spots in achieving learning gains over time. From the previous school year (2023-2024) to this school year (2024-2025), IPS innovation schools made more and larger proficiency percentage point gains than their peers statewide and in IPS-operated schools.
In a year where ELA gains across the state were relatively flat, IPS innovation network schools continue to make progress. Indiana math scores were generally stronger from 2024 to 2025, with IPS innovation network students making even stronger gains than their peers statewide and locally.
CHART: 2025 ILEARN – Proficiency percentage point changes from 2023-2024 to 2024-2025
| State | IPS-operated | All IPS innovation |
All - math & ELA | 0.4% | 0.6% | 2.4% |
All - ELA | -0.5% | -0.7% | 2.5% |
All - math | 1.3% | 1.5% | 3.7% |
Black - math & ELA | 1.1% | 0.7% | 1.7% |
Black - ELA | 0.9% | -0.6% | 1.8% |
Black - math | 2.0% | 1.4% | 2.8% |
Latino - math & ELA | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1.8% |
Latino - ELA | -0.1% | -0.6% | 1.9% |
Latino - math | 2.0% | 2.8% | 2.4% |
FRL - math & ELA | 0.7% | -0.5% | 1.1% |
FRL - ELA | 0.0% | -2.1% | 1.1% |
FRL - math | 1.4% | 0.4% | 1.7% |
Independent charter and IPS innovation schools lead IPS boundary learning recovery
Students first took ILEARN after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Measuring growth on a system-wide scale since this initial post-COVID assessment can help our community understand how schools have recovered after this major disruption. Indianapolis charter and IPS innovation schools have recovered more COVID-19 learning loss than their peers locally and statewide.
- Indianapolis charter and IPS innovation students made almost twice the proficiency gain from 2021 to 2025 than the state as a whole.
- Black Indianapolis charter and IPS innovation students made almost twice the proficiency gain from 2021 to 2025 than their peers in IPS operated schools.
Locally and statewide, the education community should note that Latino ELA performance has been flat or decreasing over a four-year period, and consider how supports can ensure students can make long-term progress in this critical subject. Within IPS boundaries, Latino students are a fast-growing demographic. For example, 31% of Indianapolis charter school students are Latino. In the 2020-2021 school year, this percentage was 22%.
CHART: ILEARN Proficiency Point Changes from 2020-2021 to 2024-2025
| State | IPS-operated | All charter and IPS innovation |
All - math & ELA | 2.6% | 4.0% | 5.4% |
All - ELA | 0.1% | 1.7% | 4.3% |
All - math | 5.2% | 7.0% | 9.1% |
Black - math & ELA | 4.7% | 2.7% | 5.8% |
Black - ELA | 4.3% | 1.6% | 6.7% |
Black - math | 7.4% | 5.3% | 9.5% |
Latino - math & ELA | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.9% |
Latino - ELA | -0.4% | -0.9% | -0.2% |
Latino - math | 5.6% | 6.3% | 6.6% |
FRL - math & ELA | 3.8% | 3.2% | 4.7% |
FRL - ELA | 2.1% | 1.2% | 4.0% |
FRL - math | 6.6% | 6.6% | 8.8% |
Progress across each school type showcases the hard work of educators and families who are deeply committed to their students’ success. We look forward to the continued work to build on strategies that ensure each child in our community has the skills and knowledge they need to lead a purposeful, fulfilling life.