The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in Social studies. The lowest is 9% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Sarah Scott Middle School
Sarah Scott Middle School serves students in sixth through eighth grade as part of the Vigo County School Corporation in Terre Haute. The school sits in a mid-sized city that blends the character of a college town, with Indiana State University integrated into downtown, alongside a diversified manufacturing economy, a federal correctional complex, and a new casino that opened on the city’s east side. The downtown area has seen recent investment including a convention center, an Arts Corridor, and a children’s museum, while the Vigo County Industrial Park continues to draw manufacturing employers. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet institution.
The middle school enrolls a student body that is predominantly White, with a substantial Black population and a smaller share of students who identify as Hispanic or as two or more races. A very large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with significant economic need. Data on students with Individualized Education Programs and English learner status was not available in the provided records.
On state assessments, the school’s proficiency rates were low across the tested subjects. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was in the single digits. In English language arts, proficiency was under a fifth of students tested. Science results, reported at the middle school level, were similarly low, with under a fifth of test takers reaching proficiency. The assessment used for these subjects was Indiana’s ILEARN. An older set of results from a previous assessment, the ISTEP, showed a social studies proficiency rate above half, but that data is from several years ago and may not reflect current performance. Participation rates on the math and English language arts tests were high, meaning nearly all enrolled students took the exams.
The comparison fact-set attempted to place the school’s performance relative to other districts in Vigo County, but the cohort of comparable schools was too small to permit any such positioning. No graduation rate applies here, as the school serves only middle grades, and chronic absenteeism data was not reported.
Several pieces of information that can help a family understand a school’s environment were absent from the data. No records were provided on discipline incidents, course access, staffing levels, or attendance rates. The school’s Title I status was not listed, and no program offerings, such as advanced coursework, arts, or career pathways, were described. A parent who wants to know about the specific academic programs, enrichment opportunities, or support services available at Sarah Scott Middle School would need to contact the school or visit its website for those details.
The district’s brief found no recently reported parent-relevant changes, such as a referendum or capital project, meaning the available information does not point to any major structural or programmatic shifts in the Vigo County School Corporation in the last several years.
Given the low proficiency figures and the high level of economic need among the student body, a family considering this school may want to look into the specific interventions and supports the school provides in core subjects. The school’s size and the city’s broader context of a stable population and a mixture of industrial, university, and civic anchors give it a setting that may appeal to families seeking a school within a mid-sized community with diverse economic activity. But the academic results suggest that a careful conversation with school leadership about how the school addresses math and reading achievement would be warranted.
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