The district also has reinforced its neighborhood schools concept, so Hispanic children can attend school close to where they live. This makes it easier for parents to get involved. Indianapolis Public Schools faces the same challenges, magnified many times. Since her oldest is 26, she's seen the evolution of a once-shining city school decades ago to one plagued by poverty and low student achievement. Her commitment to the district isn't swayed by low test scores, and her commitment to Indiana's public schools isn't swayed either.
Test scores are just one measure.
Despite what the scores say, you can get a good education at an IPS high school. It's an incomplete snapshot to look only at test scores without factoring in school enrollment changes. In addition to the growing number of students who don't speak English, a record number of special education students are taking the test, dragging down scores. Suellen Reed, the state's superintendent of public instruction, isn't accepting much blame, only noting the reality of dismal scores. On Thursday, she pointed to the high numbers of special education and Hispanic children in the schools as factors that caused last fall's scores to drop.