The Gary Community School Corporation has some work to do, when it comes to student test scores. The district's ILEARN scores have gradually increased since 2021 but remain far below state levels.
Just 9.8 percent of Gary Community Schools students in grades three through eight were considered proficient in math, compared to 41 percent statewide. Only 5.1 percent of district students were proficient in math, compared to 40.7 percent statewide.
Superintendent Dr. Yvonne Stokes told the school board Wednesday that improving those rates will take the entire community. "We are going to have to do a deep dive to find out why our students are not performing where we believe they can and should be performing," Stokes said.
When it comes to the SAT, 16.7 percent of West Side juniors met the benchmark for reading and writing, while just 1.4 percent met the math benchmark. Those are both a tenth of a percent lower than last year.
But the district is seeing success with Summer Learning Labs, a five-week program brought to the Region with help from the Urban League of Northwest Indiana and education consultant Deborah Black. Certified teachers and other partners visited classrooms, and students also had the chance to take part in off-site field trips.
Participants saw double-digit increases in English and math scores, according to information provided to the school board Wednesday.
