The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Social studies. The lowest is 45% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on James Cole Elementary School
James Cole Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in the Tippecanoe School Corporation, the district for the suburban and rural areas of Tippecanoe County surrounding Lafayette. The school is located south of Lafayette proper, on the edge of a county that also contains the Lafayette School Corporation and the West Lafayette Community School Corporation, as well as Purdue University across the Wabash River.
The school is one of the smaller elementary schools in the county by enrollment, with a student body that is overwhelmingly white and where about a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The demographic picture is a clear one: a predominantly homogenous population with a modest share of Hispanic students and very few Asian or multiracial students. Data on the share of students with disabilities or those learning English was not available, so a parent should ask the school directly about the level of special education and language support they can expect.
On the state’s ILEARN assessments, James Cole posts results that stand out in several subjects. In math, more than half of students scored proficient or above, a result that is well above the median for districts in Tippecanoe County. In English language arts, the proficiency rate is solidly in the mid-range, with under half of students meeting the bar. Science and social studies, which are tested only at certain grade levels, show strong outcomes, with a majority of tested students scoring proficient. The school’s overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades lands it in the top tier of the county, behind only a small handful of schools. The participation rate on the math and English tests was full, meaning nearly every student took the assessments, so the results reflect the whole tested population.
Because this is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report. No data on chronic absenteeism was available, so a parent may want to ask about attendance patterns. The district has no recent record of major public referendums or curriculum shifts that a parent would need to track, but the Tippecanoe School Corporation has not published detailed information about its strategic priorities that could fill out the picture.
The housing context for families considering this school is tied to a broader part of the county. Home values in the area are above the Indiana state median, and rents have been rising, though they remain somewhat below the national average. The local economy is shaped by major industrial employers such as Subaru, Caterpillar, and Wabash National, and by the presence of Purdue University in neighboring West Lafayette. Lafayette itself is a mid-sized city with a walkable historic downtown, a growing life-sciences sector, and active civic anchors like Columbian Park and the John Purdue Block mixed-use development. The city is in a period of measured growth, with industrial investment, infrastructure projects, and a bicentennial celebration in 2025.
For a parent, James Cole presents a straightforward academic picture. The school’s math and science results are a clear strength relative to other elementary schools in the county, while the English language arts performance is mid-range. If you are focused on strong math foundations and want a school with a small, predominantly white student body in a community with a mix of suburban and rural character, this school fits that profile. A parent concerned about reading proficiency or about the lack of visible diversity and the missing data on special education and English learner supports may want to probe those areas further with the school directly.
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