The top reported proficiency rate is 11% in English language arts. The lowest is 3% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Matchbook Learning
Matchbook Learning is a K-through-8 charter school in Indianapolis, operating as its own single-school district under the same name. It sits in the Haughville neighborhood on the city's west side, serving a student body that is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with a very small share of White students and a similarly small share of multiracial or Asian students. The school reports that nearly all of its students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which places it among the higher-poverty settings in Marion County.
State assessment results from the most recent testing year show proficiency rates that are well below where most schools in the county land. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was in the single digits. In English language arts, it was roughly twice that but still low. In science, the share was even lower, and in social studies it was again in the low single-digit range. When compared against other districts in Marion County on a combined proficiency index that averages across tested subjects and grades, Matchbook Learning sits in the bottom quartile. These are academic outcomes that any family would want to understand thoroughly before enrolling. Because the school only serves grades K through 8, there is no graduation rate to report; the district does not yet have enough years of high school operation to produce that metric. State testing participation was high, which means the results reflect nearly all enrolled students in tested grades.
The student population is sizable for a K-8 charter, with enrollment distributed evenly across kindergarten through eighth grade. The school's approach is built around a competency-based personalized learning model that the district describes as adapting in real time to each student's needs, creating what it calls a "school of one" for every child. Publicly reported information from the district notes that the first ninth-grade class showed growth on national assessments in reading and math during the first half of the year. That high school program, called The Match, opened in 2024 and is a separate charter high school in Haughville that emphasizes vocational themes, academics, and technical and career education. For families already in the K-8 school, this expansion creates a pathway to stay within the same charter system through graduation rather than having to find a new high school after eighth grade.
Housing in the zip code area that serves the school is affordable relative to the state and national benchmarks. Home values are below both the Indiana median and the national median, and rents are also below the national benchmark. The area has seen a modest year-over-year decline in home values and a moderate increase in rents. The national unemployment rate at the time of this data was low, and the 30-year mortgage rate was above six percent. These economic conditions are important context for families considering a move into the attendance area.
Some data that parents often use to evaluate a school is missing from the available record. Information on special education identification rates, English learner status, chronic absenteeism, and disciplinary actions was not reported. Because Matchbook Learning is a regular public charter school that serves the full range of K-8 students, those gaps may reflect state reporting choices rather than the absence of those populations, but a family may want to ask the school directly about its support structures for students with disabilities and English learners. Staffing ratios and course access information were also not available.
In sum, Matchbook Learning is a high-poverty, urban charter school with a recent expansion into a high school that allows for continuity through twelfth grade. Its state assessment results are low compared to other Marion County districts, and its instructional model is explicitly personalized and competency-based. The housing market around the school is entry-level affordable. For a family that values a personalized, technology-supported approach and a K-12 charter pathway in a neighborhood setting, this school is worth a closer look. For a family focused on high state-test proficiency, the published results would give them reason to investigate further with the school itself.
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