The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in English language arts. The lowest is 10% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Rooted School Indianapolis
Rooted School Indianapolis operates as a single-school district serving grades seven through twelve. It is a mayor-sponsored public charter school, established in the fall of 2020, which began with ninth grade and added a grade each year until it reached its current span. Publicly reported descriptions of the school emphasize a curriculum centered on technology-sector career preparation and financial literacy. The school has built partnerships with organizations such as Eleven Fifty Academy, which provides industry certifications, as well as InnoPower and the Indianapolis Recorder. The stated expectation is that students graduate with both a college acceptance and a job offer; the school's website says it aims to give students "personal pathways to financial freedom."
The student body is small for the grade range it covers. The demographic composition is not the full picture of Indianapolis or Marion County as a whole. Nearly all students are Black, a modest number are Hispanic, a small number identify as two or more races, and a very small number are white. Race and ethnicity data shows the school is not representative of the broader county's demographic mix. Information on free and reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education status, and English learner status was not available in the data provided, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about these student support indicators.
State assessment results from the ILEARN test, administered to students in the tested grade range, show results that are below the state average. In math, about one in ten students scored proficient or above. In English language arts, about one in five students scored proficient or above. These are the school's academic performance numbers for the most recent testing year. When compared to other Marion County districts using a proficiency index that averages scores across tested subjects, Rooted School Indianapolis sits just above the midpoint. That position places it roughly in line with the middle of the county's districts but well below the highest-performing ones, which reached more than twice that level of proficiency.
The school's chronic absenteeism rate sits above the midpoint among Marion County's districts, meaning a substantial share of students miss a significant number of school days. A parent or guardian may want to discuss attendance expectations with the school.
Per-pupil current spending is in the upper range compared to other districts in Marion County. That level of spending is relatively high, and a parent might ask what programs and supports those dollars fund, particularly given the school's career-focused model. The school operates out of a single location in the Arlington Woods neighborhood on the east side of Indianapolis. It is a free public school, so there are no tuition costs for attendance.
State testing data has a limited track record for this school because it is relatively new and expanded grade by grade. The test results that do exist illustrate a significant challenge in core academic performance. The career and technology focus represents a distinctive pathway that sets the school apart from other Marion County secondary options, but a parent who prioritizes strong traditional academic proficiency will want to look into how the school supports students who are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks in reading and math.
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