The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in Math. The lowest is 17% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Paramount Brookside
Paramount Brookside is a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade district in Marion County, Indiana, and it operates a single school that goes by the same name. Because it serves only elementary and middle grades, the indicators usually used for high schools—such as a graduation rate and college-and-career measures—do not apply here, and the story of this district is told through its state assessment results, its enrollment composition, and a few operational metrics.
On state testing for grades three through eight, the district’s overall proficiency across math, English language arts, science, and social studies sits in the top quartile among Marion County’s districts. That comparison set includes more than eighty districts, so landing in the top quarter is a clear relative strength. On the ILEARN assessments, a majority of students met proficiency in math, and about half did so in English language arts. Science proficiency was lower, and social studies—tested only in fifth grade—was lower still. A parent looking at these results will see a district that performs above many of its county peers overall, but with a notable gap between math and ELA on one side and science and social studies on the other. Those soft spots in the latter subjects may be worth a conversation with the school about curriculum and instructional focus.
The student body is diverse. The largest group is Black, followed by Hispanic students, White students, and those identifying as two or more races. Asian and American Indian or Alaska Native students each make up very small shares. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals is not available, nor are counts of students with disabilities or English learners. That absence makes it harder to assess the level of economic or academic need the school is serving, though the diversity of the enrollment is itself clear.
A notable concern in the available data is chronic absenteeism. The district’s chronic absenteeism rate is above the median for Marion County districts—meaning a larger share of students are missing substantial amounts of school compared with many of its neighbors. Chronic absenteeism has well-documented links to lower academic progress, especially in elementary and middle grades, and this is an area where a family may want to ask the school what supports are in place to improve attendance.
Per-pupil spending is in the middle range, though on the upper half of that middle range, among county districts. That suggests funding is near the typical level for the area, neither notably stretched nor especially generous.
Because the district brief search turned up no recent changes that met the bar for a lasting impact, there is nothing to report about new programs, facility upgrades, or policy shifts. That does not mean nothing is happening; it means the publicly reported information available did not include such items.
Paramount Brookside is a single-building K-8 district that, on state tests, holds a position above most of its county peers in overall proficiency, yet contends with a chronic absenteeism rate that runs above the county median. The school serves a diverse student population, and parents who are considering this district will want to look into the absenteeism pattern and also ask about the science and social studies performance levels. Without data on free or reduced-price lunch, special education, or English learner populations, some of the usual context for understanding a school’s challenges and strengths is missing. The district fits a family looking for a small, K-8 setting with a strong math and ELA track record relative to the county, and who are comfortable digging deeper on the attendance and science questions.
See more original research from School Decision →