Advertisement
Find a School
find a school hot topic

New!

School and District Boundaries Map

Review Your School
Preschool
preschool hot topic

Hot Topic

Should your preschooler already
be reading?

Elementary School
elementary school hot topic

Hot Topic

5 key skills for academic
success

Middle School
middle school hot topic

Hot Topic

Secrets to middle school
success

High School
high school hot topic

Hot Topic

An inside look at your teen's
brain

College
college hot topic

Hot Topic

Easing college admissions
anxiety

GreatSchools Rating

Southport Middle School

Public | 7-8 | 1103 students
“We are best known for student success being a team effort”
 
  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school
 

What schools are available to you?

Find attendance
zones for your
address »

 

  • Parents are not provided opportunities to be involved. Bullying is rampant,...

  • I am a parent of a student at SMS. I have not had a good experience with...

  • i am a past student at Southport and its a wonderful school Ive met some of...

  • Our family has had a wonderful experience at SMS. There are many helpful...

 

Extended care

The school has not provided this information yet.

 
 
 

Finding the right school

How to choose a school video thumbnail
What to look for in a
middle school
 

In the know: Get our expert advice on schools

placeholder
 

Quick guide to special education

The lowdown on STEM schools

Project-based learning: the pros and cons

College prep: What does it really mean?

School choice terminology

Last modified
Community Rating

3 stars

Based on 10 ratings
Community Rating by Year
2013:
No new ratings
2012:
Based on 2 ratings
2011:
No new ratings
2010:
No new ratings

Teacher quality

Principal leadership

Parent involvement

Are you
the principal?

Complete your school's profile»

Rate this school

Click on stars to rate
Please select a star rating for this school.
    Helpful reviews answer questions:
  • What do you think others should know?
  • What do you like?
  • How could your school improve?
    Review Guidelines
    GreatSchools won’t post reviews that contain:
  • Inappropriate language
  • Allegations of criminal conduct
  • Names of students, teachers or staff
1200 characters remaining
Please indicate your relationship to the school.
Please read and accept our Terms of Use to join GreatSchools.
Indicates a required field

4 reviews of this school

Sort by:
Show reviews by:
Posted November 12, 2012
Report it

Parents are not provided opportunities to be involved. Bullying is rampant, classes are chaotic and fighting occurs on the regular. I have had to make extraordinary efforts to communicate with teachers as they do not reach out to parents at all. After a year at this school, my daughter could not tell me who the school principal was. That is a serious disconnect. If you have any alternative choice of school, I would recommend you avoid this one for your child's emotional well-being.
—Submitted by a parent

Write your own review
Posted March 26, 2012
Report it

I am a parent of a student at SMS. I have not had a good experience with this school. I recommend going to a different school if you are choosing between multiple schools. The teachers are absent a lot. I do not feel that the teachers are concerned about providing an education. If a student doesn't start out ahead, they will have problems at this school. There is no room for improvement. You are bad or good. It is hard to dig yourself out of a hole. My child makes good grades, but some of the teachers do not like my child. My child can't do anything to please some of the teachers.
—Submitted by a parent

Write your own review
Posted March 24, 2009
Report it

i am a past student at Southport and its a wonderful school Ive met some of the best people you can find the teachers are nice the students are great and the school is magnifecent I'm very happy i chose to attend the school and if i was still in middle school id go back
—Submitted by a student

Write your own review
Posted October 6, 2006
Report it

Our family has had a wonderful experience at SMS. There are many helpful teachers and staff who all seem very involved in each child's abilities to achieve in all areas of life, not just academics. We have superior music programs, sports programs, after school academic offerings - it's nearly limitless! My children have a difficult time selecting what they want to take for after school programs! I know it isn't a perfect school, none are, but as of this writing, we've had a very positive experience with the school, teachers and staff. I would recommend SMS over other area schools - despite our socioeconomically varied student body, SMS seems to have good student/teacher ratios and is striving to help each child become their best! I love the dress code, too. What a difference it makes. Improvements? Parent involvement is terrible - not the fault of the school though! Involvement is key!
—Submitted by Julie, a parent

Write your own review

Community ratings and reviews do not represent the views of GreatSchools nor does GreatSchools check their accuracy or verify the reviewers' identities. Use your discretion when evaluating these reviews.

About these ratings

The Community Rating is the school’s average rating from its community members (e.g., parents, students, and school staff). The highest possible rating is five stars; the lowest is one star.

The test results by subgroup show how the designated group of students is performing in comparison to the general population.
English/Language Arts

The state average for English/Language Arts was 75% in 2012.

497 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
77%

2011

 
 
77%

2010

 
 
69%
Math

The state average for Math was 78% in 2012.

515 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
84%

2011

 
 
77%

2010

 
 
80%
Social Studies

The state average for Social Studies was 71% in 2012.

511 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
73%

2011

 
 
63%

2010

 
 
63%
Scale: % passing

About the tests

In 2011-2012 Indiana used the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus (ISTEP+) assessment to test students in grades 3 through 8 in English/language arts and math, grades 4 and 6 in science, and in grades 5 and 7 in social studies. The ISTEP+ is a standards-based test, which means it measures specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Indiana. The goal is for all students to score at the passing level on the test.

See Indiana's state standards

Source: Indiana Department of Education

English/Language Arts

The state average for English/Language Arts was 73% in 2012.

502 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
68%

2011

 
 
68%

2010

 
 
62%
Math

The state average for Math was 80% in 2012.

512 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
76%

2011

 
 
86%

2010

 
 
82%
Scale: % passing

About the tests

In 2011-2012 Indiana used the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus (ISTEP+) assessment to test students in grades 3 through 8 in English/language arts and math, grades 4 and 6 in science, and in grades 5 and 7 in social studies. The ISTEP+ is a standards-based test, which means it measures specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Indiana. The goal is for all students to score at the passing level on the test.

See Indiana's state standards

Source: Indiana Department of Education

Algebra I

The state average for Algebra I was 70% in 2012.

163 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
97%

2011

 
 
100%

2010

 
 
90%
Scale: % passing

About the tests

In 2011-2012 Indiana used the End-of-Course (ECA) assessment to test students in middle and high school in Algebra I, Biology I, and English 10. The ECA is a criterion-referenced assessment developed specifically for students completing their instruction in Algebra I, Biology I, or English 10. The goal is for all students to score at the passing level on the test.

See Indiana's state standards

Source: Indiana Department of Education

  • In 2011-2012, this school received a grade of "C".
  • In 2010-2011, this school received a grade of "D".
  • In 2009-2010, this school received a grade of "C".

About the tests

Indiana uses the A through F School Grading System to assess the overall performance of a school. For the 2011-2012 school year, schools were graded based on performance and participation levels in state standardized tests and student growth using the Indiana Growth Model. In addition, high schools were graded on four-year (on-time) graduation rates and college and career readiness indicators including Advanced Placment exam results and industry certification exam results.

See Indiana's state standards

Source: Indiana Department of Education

GreatSchools Rating

What makes up this rating?

Academic rating
5 / 10
Climate rating
Not available

This school's GreatSchools Rating is based on academics (90%) and climate (10%). The academic rating measures students' test scores, academic growth and college readiness. The climate rating measures safety, cleanliness, parent involvement and more.

Learn more about our methodology

What is the new GreatSchools Rating?

Rating legend
Below
average
Average
Above
average

Our rating (from 1 to 10) reflects a school's overall performance. The higher the rating, the more likely the school will prepare your child for the future, so choose an above-average school (8-10) if possible. For average schools (4-7), do careful research and look for evidence that the school has high-quality programs. For below-average schools (1-3), take caution; a low-performing school may not provide the instruction or environment your child needs to learn, and you may need to supplement classroom lessons at home.

Academic rating

The academic rating is made up of equally-weighted parts: students' test scores, their academic growth (for elementary and middle schools) and their readiness for college (for high schools). The graphs below compare this school's results in each area to other schools in the city and state. Growth and college readiness ratings are coming soon, pending publication of 2012 data.
Overall academic rating

5

Average
Test score rating 2012*
This school
City
State
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Learn more about this school's test scores »
Student growth rating 2012**
This school
City
State
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
This school
Reading growth
Average
Math growth
Average

*Test scores are based on 2012 ISTEP and ECA results from the state of Indiana.

**The academic growth rating measures how schools affect student test score improvement over time in reading and math. Data is from the 2012 school year and is provided by the Indiana Department of Education.

Climate ratings

Climate rating for this school is not yet available.

Student ethnicity

Ethnicity This school State average
White 66% 73%
Black 12% 12%
Hispanic 9% 8%
Asian 8% 2%
Multiracial 5% 4%
American Indian 0% 0%
Native Hawaiin or Pacific Islander N/A 0%
Source: IN Dept. of Education, 2010-2011

Student subgroups

  This school District averageState average
Students participating in free or reduced-price lunch program 65%N/A47%
Special education 11%N/A15%
English learners 13%N/A5%
Source: IN Dept. of Education, 2010-2011

Student-teacher ratio

  This school District averageState average
Students per FTE teacher 21N/A17
Source: NCES, 2008-2009

Teacher resources

Special staff resources available to students Assistant principal(s)
Art teacher(s)
Instructional aide(s)/coach(es)
Librarian/media specialist(s)
Music teacher(s)
PE instructor(s)
Nurse(s)
Security personnel
School psychologist
Speech and language therapist(s)
Foreign languages spoken by school staff Spanish
Chin
Read more about programs at this school
Source: Manually entered by a school official.

Special education / special needs

Level of special education programming offered
  • Intensive - the school offers a full program for many needs and/or offers at least one very comprehensive program for very challenging needs such as autism or complete visual impairment
Staff resources available to students
  • Speech and language therapist(s)

Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM)

Specific academic themes or areas of focus
  • Technology
School facilities
  • Access to farm or natural area
  • Computer lab
  • Science lab
Clubs
  • Technology club

Arts & music

Staff resources available to students
  • Art teacher(s)
  • Music teacher(s)
School facilities
  • Art room
  • Music room
  • Performance stage
Music
  • Band
  • Choir / Chorus
  • Orchestra

Language learning

Foreign languages taught
  • Spanish
Level of ESL/ELL programming offered
  • Moderate - the school consistently offers a full program for particular ESL/ELL needs
Languages supported by ESL/ELL programs
  • Other
  • Spanish
Staff resources available to students
  • Speech and language therapist(s)
Foreign languages spoken by staff
  • Chin
  • Spanish

Health & athletics

Staff resources available to students
  • Instructional aide(s)/coach(es)
  • Nurse(s)
  • PE instructor(s)
  • School psychologist
School facilities
  • Access to farm or natural area
  • Gym

Gifted & talented

Instructional and/or curriculum models used
  • Gifted / high performing
  • Honors track
Extra learning resources offered
  • Acceleration
School leaders can update this information here.

School basics

School start time
  • 7:42 a.m.
School end time
  • 2:35 p.m.
School Leader's name
  • Mr Brian Knight
Best ways for parents to contact the school
  • Phone
Gender
  • Coed
Is there an application process?
  • Yes
Fax number
  • (317) 780-4302

Programs

Instructional and/or curriculum models used

Don't understand these terms?
  • Gifted / high performing
  • Honors track
  • Standards-based
Specific academic themes or areas of focus

Don't understand these terms?
  • Technology
Bi-lingual or language immersion programs offered

Don't understand these terms?
  • No
Level of special education programming offered
  • Intensive - the school offers a full program for many needs and/or offers at least one very comprehensive program for very challenging needs such as autism or complete visual impairment
Foreign languages taught
  • Spanish
Level of ESL/ELL programming offered
  • Moderate - the school consistently offers a full program for particular ESL/ELL needs
Languages supported by ESL/ELL programs
  • Other
  • Spanish

Resources

Staff resources available to students
  • Art teacher(s)
  • Assistant principal(s)
  • Instructional aide(s)/coach(es)
  • Librarian/media specialist(s)
  • Music teacher(s)
  • Nurse(s)
  • PE instructor(s)
  • School psychologist
  • Security personnel
  • Speech and language therapist(s)
Foreign languages spoken by staff
  • Chin
  • Spanish
Extra learning resources offered
  • Acceleration
  • Counseling
  • Remediation
Transportation provided for students by the school / district
  • Buses/vans for students only
School facilities
  • Access to farm or natural area
  • Art room
  • Audiovisual aids
  • Auditorium
  • Cafeteria
  • Computer lab
  • Gym
  • Internet access
  • Library
  • Music room
  • Performance stage
  • Science lab
School leaders can update this information here.

Sports

Boys sports
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Cross country
  • Diving
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Soccer
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Track
  • Wrestling
Girls sports
  • Basketball
  • Cheerleading
  • Cross country
  • Diving
  • Golf
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Track

Arts & music

Music
  • Band
  • Choir / Chorus
  • Orchestra

Student clubs

Clubs (distinct from courses)
  • Academic Pursuit
  • Campus Life
  • Technology club
  • Writing Club
School leaders can update this information here.

Photos

  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school
  • Photos of this school

Add videos

Schools, join today to
upload videos

 

Tips for understanding school culture

School culture

Dress Code
  • Dress code
Bullying policy
  • This school has a bullying and/or cyber bullying policy in place.
Parent involvement
  • Attend parent nights
  • Join PTO/PTA
  • Volunteer in the classroom
School colors
  • crimson, white
School mascot
  • Cougars
School leaders can update this information here.

Apply

Learn more about
enrolling at this school »
 

TIP: Don't forget to ask about documents required for enrollment, such as your child's birth certificate, proof of address, or a record of immunizations.

 
Apply now

Visit

Be sure to visit

Take along one of
our checklists:
Middle school

Finding the right school

Touring a school video thumbnail
What to look for in a
middle school

What schools are available to you?

Find attendance
zones for your
address »

Are you responsible for enrollment at your school?

Tell parents
more about
your school

 
Indianapolis

Recommended reading
Outsmarting the system in Indianapolis »

What are your chances?

Students typically come from these schools
MSDPT Elementary Schools
Southport 6th Grade Academy

Planning ahead

Students typically attend these schools after graduating
Southport High School
Notice an inaccuracy? Let us know!
Map thumbnail

Get directions »

5715 S Keystone
Indianapolis, IN 46227
Website: Click here
Phone: (317) 789-4600

Nearby homes for sale

ADVERTISEMENT

Compare this school
to nearby schools

Compare schools »

Compare

Add this school to compare

Nearby schools

Southport 6th Grade Academy
Indianapolis, IN

St. Jude Catholic School
Indianapolis, IN

Calvary Lutheran School
Indianapolis, IN

St. Mark School
Indianapolis, IN

Calvary Christian School
Indianapolis, IN

Southport Presbyterian Christian School
Indianapolis, IN

Choosing a school in Indianapolis?

Planning a visit?

Download the school visit checklist

Download

Outsmart the system in
Indianapolis

Read how to navigate the
local process »
Indianapolis
ADVERTISEMENT

Thank you. You've successfully subscribed to the GreatSchools newsletter.

Thank you. Please confirm your subscription by clicking the link in the email we just sent you.

Sign Up For Email Updates
Please enter your email address to sign up.
The email address is already signed up.
Connect With Us

About GreatSchools

Our mission is to inspire and support families to champion their children's education - at school, at home and in their community. We are a national non-profit with offices in San Francisco, Milwaukee, Washington D.C. and Indianapolis.

Find the great schools in Indiana

All cities in Indiana:ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPRSTUVWYZ

GreatSchools, Inc. 160 Spear Street, Suite 1020, San Francisco, CA 94105

©1998-2013 GreatSchools Inc. All Rights Reserved. GreatSchools is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization

Please verify your email address

Great work! Only one more step. Now we just need you to verify your email address. Please click on the link in the email we just sent you to complete your registration.

Please verify your email address

Great work! Only one more step. Now we just need you to verify your email address. Please click on the link in the email we just sent you to submit your review.

Your new email needs to be verified

Please click on the link in the verification email we just sent you to complete your change of email address.

Your registration is complete

Thanks for registering. Welcome to GreatSchools, the largest online community committed to improving educational outcomes through parental involvement.

Your email change is complete

Thanks for verifying your updated email address.

Your email needs to be verified

Oops! You haven't verified your email address yet. To do so, please click on the link in the email we sent you. Can't find the email? Click the button below to receive a new one.

Verification link expired

Oops! That email verification link has expired. Please click the button below to receive a new one.

Sign in to GreatSchools

Not a member? Join GreatSchools.

Sign in with an existing GreatSchools account:

 

Forgot your password?

Forgot your password?

Please enter the email address associated with your account. Instructions for selecting a new password will be emailed to you.

Thank you for submitting a review

Your review has been posted to GreatSchools.

Thank you for submitting a review

Welcome to GreatSchools!

Complete your school's profile

For principals and school officials, we offer a special Enhanced School Profile (ESP) which allows you to update and add information about your school, as well as respond to reviews. If you are a school official, click Continue to start.

You must agree to continue

Thank you for submitting a comment

Please note that it can take up to 48 hours for your comment to be posted to our site. While you're here, we'd like to invite you to fill out a survey on your school's programs, activities, and extracurriculars. It only takes a few minutes and will help parents get a full picture of your school.


No thanks

Your account is now active

Get started now! You have successfully registered and can now start updating your Official School Profile. The information you provide is extremely valuable in helping parents and students learn more about your school, so thanks for taking the time!