The top reported proficiency rate is 78% in Social studies. The lowest is 24% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Carlisle Middle School
Carlisle Middle School is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in the small, rural town of Carlisle, Indiana. It is the only middle school within the Southwest School Corporation. The town itself is a very small community in Sullivan County, part of the Terre Haute metropolitan area, and is heavily shaped by the presence of the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility, a state prison that dominates local employment and the population count. Outside of the prison, Carlisle has limited commercial activity and the community's population has been gradually declining in recent years. The school is located on West Eaton Street, and the town has a public library and a town hall as its primary civic anchors. Local housing values are well below the state average.
The student body is very small and almost entirely white. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school’s state testing results, from the ILEARN assessments, show a mixed picture. In English language arts, a notable portion of students met or exceeded the bar, landing above the midpoint for the county. In math, the share of students reaching proficiency was lower. Science results were reported for a much smaller testing cohort, with a group of students meeting the proficiency threshold.
When placed alongside the other districts in Sullivan County, Carlisle Middle School’s overall average across tested subjects sits in the top quarter. This is a relative strength, but the raw numbers suggest that a parent should look into this further with the school to understand the learning environment in specific subjects. The assessment results come from a single year, and trend data was not available to show whether performance is improving or declining. Social studies testing data was only present from several years ago and used a different state assessment, making it an unreliable comparison.
The school provides no advanced program offerings in the data we examined, such as high school credit options or career and technical education pathways, which are typically not found at the middle school level unless formally reported. Staffing ratios and teacher qualifications, chronic absenteeism rates, and discipline data were all absent. A parent who values these details may want to contact the school or the Southwest School Corporation directly. The graduation rate metric does not apply to a middle school.
Carlisle Middle School serves a very small, rural community going through a period of slow population decline. Its primary strength is an overall test performance that compares favorably within its county, though the proficiency rates in math and, to a lesser extent, English, leave room for growth. The school is a public neighborhood option for local families, and its size and rural setting will define the experience more than any particular program or curricular emphasis.
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