Joseph Block Middle School

Summary:

Joseph Block Middle School is a public middle school located in East Chicago, Indiana, serving 487 students in grades 7-8. The school has a diverse student population, with a majority of African American (48.87%) and Hispanic (47.64%) students. Unfortunately, Joseph Block Middle School has consistently struggled academically, ranking in the bottom 10% of Indiana middle schools over the past decade.

The school's academic performance is a major concern, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math significantly lower than the state and district averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 19.22% of students were proficient in ELA, and just 3.43% were proficient in Math, compared to the district's 15.03% and 12.62%, respectively. This stagnant performance indicates the need for targeted interventions and support to improve student learning. Additionally, Joseph Block Middle School has experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 17.4% to 53.9% over the past three years, which is significantly higher than the state average and suggests issues with student engagement.

Interestingly, nearby schools, such as River Forest Middle School, Merrillville Intermediate School, and Highland Middle School, have higher proficiency rates, lower chronic absenteeism, and better overall rankings compared to Joseph Block Middle School, despite facing some challenges of their own. This stark contrast in performance highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to address the underlying issues at Joseph Block Middle School, which may include re-evaluating resource allocation and implementing evidence-based strategies to improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public 7-8

2700 Cardinal Dr
East Chicago, IN 46312

(219) 391-4084

District: School City of East Chicago

SchoolDigger Rank:
429^th of 485 Indiana Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,396

Students who attend Joseph Block Middle School usually attend:

High:

East Chicago Central High School

Feeder schools for Joseph Block Middle School:

Elementary:	Abraham Lincoln Elementary School
	George Washington Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.3

Number of students: 487

Racial breakdown:

African American:

48.9%

Hispanic:

47.6%

Two or more races:

2.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 81.9%

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Compare Joseph Block Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Joseph Block Middle School ranks worse than 88.5% of middle schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.92. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (48.9%), Hispanic (47.6%), two or more races (2.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 81.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Joseph Block Middle School is 12.3. (See more...)

Compare Joseph Block Middle School employs 39.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Joseph Block Middle School is $13,396.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Joseph Block Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Joseph Block Middle School 429^th of 485 Indiana public middle schools. (See Joseph Block Middle School in the ranking list.)

School City of East Chicago:

SchoolDigger ranks School City of East Chicago 344^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Joseph Block Middle School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	2.48	364^th	370	1.6%
2006	6.89	362^nd	375	3.5%
2007	7.08	370^th	382	3.1%
2008	2.60	384^th	392	2.0%
2009	1.01	421^st	423	0.5%
2010	8.38	409^th	428	4.4%
2011	3.86	435^th	451	3.5%
2012	1.23	442^nd	447	1.1%
2013	0.73	438^th	444	1.4%
2014	2.66	458^th	470	2.6%
2015	2.99	461^st	485	4.9%
2016	7.82	460^th	494	6.9%
2017	12.93	415^th	472	12.1%
2018	15.36	416^th	473	12.1%
2019	7.05	445^th	470	5.3%
2021	7.28	456^th	483	5.6%
2022	9.33	452^nd	490	7.8%
2023	10.23	447^th	489	8.6%
2024	11.92	429^th	485	11.5%

See the entire list of Indiana Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Indiana Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Joseph Block Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	19	271	0	302	0	n/a	n/a	0	592
1989	18	255	0	269	0	n/a	n/a	0	542
1990	20	268	1	284	0	n/a	n/a	0	573
1991	22	263	0	282	0	n/a	n/a	0	567
1992	15	259	0	276	0	n/a	n/a	0	550
1993	19	271	0	317	0	n/a	n/a	0	607
1994	14	278	0	288	0	n/a	n/a	0	580
1995	15	266	1	258	0	n/a	n/a	0	540
1996	15	266	1	258	0	n/a	n/a	0	540
1997	15	266	0	250	1	n/a	n/a	0	532
1998	22	251	0	236	2	n/a	n/a	0	511
1999	13	229	0	214	1	n/a	n/a	0	457
2000	10	230	0	198	0	n/a	n/a	0	438
2001	10	215	3	193	0	n/a	n/a	0	421
2002	8	229	0	233	0	n/a	n/a	0	470
2003	8	229	0	233	0	n/a	n/a	0	470
2004	10	226	1	238	0	n/a	n/a	0	475
2005	13	308	0	191	0	n/a	n/a	0	512
2006	8	271	1	198	1	n/a	n/a	0	479
2007	3	275	0	208	1	n/a	n/a	6	493
2008	4	283	0	196	0	n/a	n/a	11	494
2009	7	215	1	160	0	n/a	n/a	6	389
2010	3	189	0	148	0	n/a	n/a	1	341
2011	11	292	0	338	0	1	2	0	644
2012	13	322	2	321	1	0	4	0	663
2013	11	340	1	287	1	0	6	0	646
2014	3	183	0	85	0	0	1	0	272
2015	3	298	0	163	0	0	9	0	473
2016	1	201	0	94	0	0	5	0	301
2017	9	292	0	277	0	0	7	0	585
2018	11	242	0	249	0	0	12	0	514
2019	10	248	0	244	0	0	12	0	514
2020	13	272	1	272	2	0	10	0	570
2021	10	267	1	265	2	0	16	0	561
2022	7	242	0	243	0	0	11	0	503
2023	7	238	0	232	0	0	10	0	487

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Joseph Block Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	592	35.3	16.7	65.5
1989	542	34.0	15.9	65.7
1990	573	38.0	15.0	61.1
1991	567	41.8	13.5	59.3
1992	550	40.6	13.5	63.1
1993	607	40.5	15.0	61.8
1994	580	40.5	14.3	57.9
1995	540	40.6	13.3	68.1
1996	540	40.6	13.3	68.1
1997	532	40.6	13.1	70.9
1998	511	41.5	12.3	67.9
1999	457	41.5	11.0	77.9
2000	438	41.5	10.6	74.9
2001	421	40.5	10.4	86.2
2002	470	35.0	13.4	81.1
2003	470	35.0	13.4	81.1
2004	475	35.0	13.6	80.8
2005	512	36.0	14.2	84.2
2006	479	33.1	14.5	87.1
2007	493	n/a	n/a	89.7
2008	494	35.0	14.1	91.3
2009	389	32.0	12.2	92.4
2010	341	29.0	11.7	97.1
2011	644	38.1	16.9	94.1
2012	663	43.0	15.4	90.5
2013	646	49.0	13.1	94.3
2014	272	27.0	10.0	90.4
2015	473	30.0	15.7	95.6
2016	301	19.0	15.8	89.4
2017	585	40.0	14.6	91.5
2018	514	39.0	13.1	88.1
2019	514	37.0	13.8	83.3
2020	570	45.0	12.6	76.3
2021	561	39.0	14.3	83.8
2022	503	45.9	10.9	74.2
2023	487	39.2	12.3	81.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Joseph Block Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	592	35.3	16.7	65.5
1989	542	34.0	15.9	65.7
1990	573	38.0	15.0	61.1
1991	567	41.8	13.5	59.3
1992	550	40.6	13.5	63.1
1993	607	40.5	15.0	61.8
1994	580	40.5	14.3	57.9
1995	540	40.6	13.3	68.1
1996	540	40.6	13.3	68.1
1997	532	40.6	13.1	70.9
1998	511	41.5	12.3	67.9
1999	457	41.5	11.0	77.9
2000	438	41.5	10.6	74.9
2001	421	40.5	10.4	86.2
2002	470	35.0	13.4	81.1
2003	470	35.0	13.4	81.1
2004	475	35.0	13.6	80.8
2005	512	36.0	14.2	84.2
2006	479	33.1	14.5	87.1
2007	493	n/a	n/a	89.7
2008	494	35.0	14.1	91.3
2009	389	32.0	12.2	92.4
2010	341	29.0	11.7	97.1
2011	644	38.1	16.9	94.1
2012	663	43.0	15.4	90.5
2013	646	49.0	13.1	94.3
2014	272	27.0	10.0	90.4
2015	473	30.0	15.7	95.6
2016	301	19.0	15.8	89.4
2017	585	40.0	14.6	91.5
2018	514	39.0	13.1	88.1
2019	514	37.0	13.8	83.3
2020	570	45.0	12.6	76.3
2021	561	39.0	14.3	83.8
2022	503	45.9	10.9	74.2
2023	487	39.2	12.3	81.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Joseph Block Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,359 (10.6%)	$11,477 (89.4%)	$12,836
2020	$1,254 (10.9%)	$10,200 (89.1%)	$11,454
2021	$2,006 (17.4%)	$9,520 (82.6%)	$11,526
2022	$2,195 (16.4%)	$11,201 (83.6%)	$13,396

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Joseph Block Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 445^th of 470 Middle schools	Ranks 447^th of 489 Middle schools	3.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (Joseph Block Middle School)	18.8	18.3	0.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (School City of East Chicago)	18.8	18.3	0.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	49.7	39.5	10.2%
7th Grade Math (Joseph Block Middle School)	12.2	3.9	8.3%
7th Grade Math (School City of East Chicago)	12.2	3.9	8.3%
7th Grade Math (Indiana)	42	32.9	9.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Joseph Block Middle School)	24.6	15.7	8.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (School City of East Chicago)	24.6	15.7	8.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	50.7	43.8	6.9%
8th Grade Math (Joseph Block Middle School)	11.8	3	8.8%
8th Grade Math (School City of East Chicago)	11.8	3	8.8%
8th Grade Math (Indiana)	38	31.4	6.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	514	487	5.3%
African American	248	238	4%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	244	232	4.9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	10	7	30%
Two or More Races	12	10	16.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	83.3%	81.9%	1.3%

Schools Near Joseph Block Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2024)					ILEARN Math (2024)					ILEARN Social Studies (2024)	ILEARN Biology (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Joseph Block Middle School	Public	7-8	2700 Cardinal Dr	East Chicago	46312	Lake County	School City of East Chicago	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 391-4084	487	39	12.3	81.9%	7 (1.4%)	238 (48.9%)	232 (47.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.1%)	11.9	429^th of 485 public middle schools	11.5%		10.2	447^th of 489 public middle schools	8.6%	18			17.8	20.6	19.2			3.2	3.7	3.4			$13,396	$2,195	$11,201
Charles N Scott Middle School	Public	7-8	3635 173rd St	Hammond	46323	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 989-7340	738	40	18.4	74.8%	78 (10.6%)	344 (46.6%)	273 (37.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (5.7%)	11.4	437^th of 485 public middle schools	9.9%		8.5	458^th of 489 public middle schools	6.3%	21			19.1	17.2	18.1			6.4	1.4	3.8		24.0	$11,368	$1,743	$9,625
Whiting Middle School	Public	6-8	1800 New York Ave	Whiting	46394	Lake County	School City of Whiting	No	No	No	No	(219) 473-1344	270	13	20.2	78.1%	52 (19.3%)	12 (4.4%)	203 (75.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	43.1	282^nd of 485 public middle schools	41.9%		40.5	290^th of 489 public middle schools	40.7%	8		57.3	28.6	32.7	38.8		46.7	9.0	11.2	21.1			$10,803	$1,527	$9,276
Henry W Eggers Middle School	Public	7-8	5825 Blaine Ave	Hammond	46320	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 933-2449	855	39	21.7	75.9%	51 (6.0%)	332 (38.8%)	430 (50.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (4.8%)	8.9	457^th of 485 public middle schools	5.8%		9.8	449^th of 489 public middle schools	8.2%	8			13.8	14.5	14.2			3.3	3.1	3.2			$11,137	$1,724	$9,413
Highland Middle School	Public	6-8	2941 41st St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	No	(219) 922-5620	726	40	18.3	50.8%	357 (49.2%)	88 (12.1%)	248 (34.2%)	9 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.3%)	71.9	125^th of 485 public middle schools	74.2%		66.1	151^st of 489 public middle schools	69.1%	26		55.1	42.9	47.1	48.3		57.1	37.8	25.8	40.6			$9,359	$263	$9,096
Wilbur Wright Middle School	Public	6-8	8650 Columbia Ave	Munster	46321	Lake County	School Town of Munster	No	No	No	No	(219) 836-6260	908	51	17.9	23.9%	440 (48.5%)	87 (9.6%)	268 (29.5%)	73 (8.0%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (4.2%)	95.2	13^th of 485 public middle schools	97.3%		92.8	25^th of 489 public middle schools	94.9%	12		61.3	74.8	66.4	67.5		65.0	56.8	56.8	59.5		100.0	$9,510	$506	$9,003
Lake Ridge New Technical Middle School	Public	5-8	3601 W 41st Ave	Gary	46408	Lake County	Lake Ridge New Technical Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 980-0730	476	27	17.9	91.8%	153 (32.1%)	165 (34.7%)	119 (25.0%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.4%)	7.6	469^th of 485 public middle schools	3.3%		11.8	439^th of 489 public middle schools	10.2%	30	13.8	12.0	10.4	11.1	11.8	9.6	2.9	4.7	1.7	4.5	5.3		$12,639	$2,884	$9,755
Bailly Middle School	Public	6-8	4621 Georgia St	Gary	46409	Lake County	Gary Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 980-6326	383	30	12.7	85.1%	5 (1.3%)	337 (88.0%)	29 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.1%)	9.9	448^th of 485 public middle schools	7.6%		7.4	470^th of 489 public middle schools	3.9%	22		15.7	16.9	14.7	15.7		6.1	3.4	1.8	3.9			$16,955	$5,209	$11,746
River Forest Middle School	Public	6-8	3300 Indiana St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	River Forest Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 962-7551	379	23	16.8	87.1%	136 (35.9%)	51 (13.5%)	161 (42.5%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	26 (6.9%)	17.6	400^th of 485 public middle schools	17.5%		19.8	393^rd of 489 public middle schools	19.6%	7		23.4	20.8	24.4	22.9		10.8	9.9	6.5	9.0			$8,369	$453	$7,916
Merrillville Intermediate School	Public	5-6	1400 W 61st Ave	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5306	855	60	14.3	71.3%	79 (9.2%)	549 (64.2%)	173 (20.2%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	49 (5.7%)								(n/a)	25.6	28.5			27.2	31.3	26.5			28.8	24.2		$9,473	$1,287	$8,186

Frequently Asked Questions about Joseph Block Middle School

Is Joseph Block Middle School a good school?

Joseph Block Middle School ranks in the bottom 11.5% of Indiana middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Joseph Block Middle School attend?

Students who attend Joseph Block Middle School usually go on to attend East Chicago Central High School

How many students attend Joseph Block Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 487 students attended Joseph Block Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Joseph Block Middle School?

Students at Joseph Block Middle School are 49% African American, 48% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% White.

What district is Joseph Block Middle School in?

School City of East Chicago

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Indiana Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.