Indiana has published school-by-school results for the 2026 ILEARN assessments, providing the first public view of performance under an updated testing structure. The figures reveal that Indianapolis charter schools exceeded district-run schools in combined English and math proficiency rates, with 16.7% of charter students achieving proficiency in both subjects compared to 13.8% in Indianapolis Public Schools.
Across Indiana, proficiency stood at 42% in English and 43% in math for 2026, though performance varied significantly between schools and student demographics. Only 31.5% of Indiana students met proficiency in both subjects. The data also exposed ongoing inequities: 29% of students eligible for subsidized meals, a common poverty marker, reached proficiency in English, while 53% of their non-eligible peers did.
The 2026 ILEARN test was shorter and included mid-year progress checks, though only final scores were released to the public. State education leaders cautioned against direct comparisons with earlier years because of the revised format. Math proficiency declined in higher grades, with 34% of eighth graders passing math compared to 51% in third and fourth grades. English proficiency remained stable through middle school before rising slightly to 44% in eighth grade.
These scores will influence Indiana’s new school accountability system, which assigns letter grades to schools in December. For elementary and middle schools, both proficiency levels and student growth contribute to a per-student point total, which determines the overall grade.
Charter schools within Indianapolis Public Schools performed better than their district-run peers, but the results confirm deep-seated achievement gaps linked to poverty and school classification.
