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IPS graduation rates increase

The logo for Indianapolis Public Schools. (WISH Photo)

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Graduation rates have been steadily increasing for Indianapolis Public Schools over the last two years.

A variety of recent programs have contributed to improved academics and better support for teachers.

IPS has achieved steady growth in graduation rates while state graduation rates have slightly declined. In 2022, the IPS rate increased to 80% while the state average fell to 86.6%.

“Students are monitored through a steady cadence of reports shared with our schools, including freshman and sophomore on-track data along with predictive graduation data,” Smith said. “We are also ramping up rigor using the SAT Suite of Assessments coupled with students’ access to Khan Academy to support their academic and test preparedness. Students are engaging in SAT classroom prompts and SAT boot camps to bolster test scores.”  

 Rodney W. Smith, IPS director of post-secondary planning

Other positive data for IPS schools include:

  • Graduation rates above 80 percent for seven of district’s 10 high schools, including three of the four direct-managed high school
  •  Every subgroup achieved a higher graduation rate in 2022 than in 2021.
  •  English language learners have a graduation rate higher than their statewide peers by a margin of over 5 percentage points.
  • Graduation rates for black, Hispanic, Asian students are higher or on par with their statewide peers.
  • A decline in the use of waivers, dropping from 4.9% in 2021 to 2.7% in 2022. For IPS’ four academy high schools, the waiver rate dropped to 0.91% overall.
  • Five of 10 high schools had 100% of students graduate without using a waiver.