Caston School Corporation recognized in statewide study highlighting school impact on student success

Caston School Corporation is highlighting the results of a newly released statewide study from the Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) at Ball State University, which provides a new perspective on how schools contribute to student success across Indiana.

The study introduces a “value-added” model that evaluates how much school corporations contribute to student learning after accounting for factors such as poverty, demographics, and resources. Unlike traditional rankings based solely on test scores, this approach focuses on the direct impact of schools, teachers, and instructional practices on student outcomes.

The study found that:

• Student demographics and poverty levels explain a significant portion of test score differences across schools, accounting for roughly 41%–53% of performance variation.
• However, 47%–59% of student outcomes are influenced by school-specific factors, including teaching quality, curriculum, and leadership.
• Some Indiana school corporations exceeded expected performance by more than 30 percentage points, demonstrating the powerful impact schools can have beyond external factors.
• Caston School Corporation was identified as one of the districts showing notable growth in value-added performance over time, with significant gains compared to prior years.

This study reinforces that schools matter in shaping student success. While external factors influence outcomes, the work happening inside classrooms, such as strong instruction, meaningful relationships, and high expectations, plays a critical role.

“This study validates the work happening every day in our classrooms. At Caston, our staff is focused on ensuring that every student grows, regardless of their starting point. Our staff’s commitment to focused instruction and student learning continues to make a measurable impact.” Angela Miller, Caston Superintendent

Traditional school ratings often rely heavily on raw test scores, which can reflect community demographics as much as school quality. The CBER study emphasizes that value-added measures provide a more equitable and accurate picture of school effectiveness, helping communities better understand the true impact of their schools.

Caston remains committed to being “big enough to do great things and small enough to care.” The district will continue building on this momentum to ensure all students are prepared for success in school and beyond.