The top reported proficiency rate is 20% in Math. The lowest is 10% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Dexter Elementary School
Dexter Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in Evansville, Indiana, within the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. The school enrolls a moderate number of students for an elementary school, with a full set of grade-level classrooms from kindergarten through fifth grade and a prekindergarten program.
The student body is diverse. White students make up the largest share, followed by Black students, and then roughly equal portions of Hispanic students and students who identify as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in a context where many families face economic pressures.
State assessment results from the ILEARN tests for the most recent school year show that student proficiency rates in math, English language arts, science, and social studies are below the midpoint when compared with other elementary schools in Vanderburgh County. In math, about one in five students scored at the proficient level or above. In English language arts, about one in seven students met that bar. Science and social studies proficiency rates were lower still, with roughly one in ten students reaching the proficient threshold in each subject. The school's overall proficiency index, which averages performance across all tested subjects and grades, sits below the midpoint of the county's elementary schools. Participation rates on the assessments were complete for math and English language arts, meaning nearly every student took those tests.
Evansville is a mid-sized city that functions as the regional commercial, medical, and cultural hub for the tri-state area of southwestern Indiana, southeastern Illinois, and northwestern Kentucky. Its economy is diversified, with major sectors in manufacturing of plastics, pharmaceuticals, home appliances, aluminum, and food products, as well as healthcare and retail. The owner-occupied housing rate is below the national average, reflecting a mix of residential neighborhoods and commercial and industrial districts. The city's population has been declining modestly in recent years, and active redevelopment programs are in place. Housing values in the school's ZIP code area are below the state median, and rents have been rising. The typical monthly mortgage payment is somewhat higher than typical rent, which may affect family decisions about homeownership in the area.
No data was available on chronic absenteeism rates, discipline incidents, or staffing ratios for Dexter Elementary, so a parent may want to ask the school or district directly about those aspects of school climate and support. Information on special education identification rates and English learner enrollment was also missing from the available data. The school does not appear to be a charter or magnet school, and its Title I status was not reported in the data provided.
Dexter Elementary is a neighborhood school in a city that serves as a regional economic center. Its academic performance on state assessments is lower than many of its county peers, and a large portion of its families face economic challenges. The school's grade span is limited to elementary, so there is no graduation rate to consider. A parent evaluating this school would likely want to look into the specific academic support programs available, how the school addresses the gaps in proficiency, and what the school's student attendance and engagement patterns look like. The school's website and conversations with the principal could provide a fuller picture of what a typical day looks like and how the school supports its students.
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