HSE Schools highlights academic growth & expanded opportunities for students

Submitted by HSE Schools

More students at Fishers and Hamilton Southeastern high schools are taking on advanced coursework, and more are succeeding.

Since 2022, Advanced Placement (AP) participation has increased 21 percent at Fishers High School (FHS) and 38 percent at Hamilton Southeastern High School (HHS). During that same period, the number of students earning qualifying AP scores has grown even faster, increasing 40 percent and 59 percent, respectively.

Those results were among the academic highlights shared with the Hamilton Southeastern Board of School Trustees on Wednesday, Oct. 14, along with strong ILEARN performance and a look at how educators are using student data to strengthen instruction and provide targeted support.

During the 2025-26 school year, more than 2,800 students across both high schools took AP courses, with more than 2,400 earning at least one qualifying score of 3 or higher.

Additionally, 58 percent of graduating seniors at FHS and 56 percent at HHS have earned at least one qualifying AP score. HHS also achieved a record 89.3 percent AP success rate.

“What’s encouraging is that we’re seeing more students take on challenging coursework while continuing to achieve at high levels,” Superintendent Dr. Matt Kegley said. “We want to continue opening doors for students while making sure they have the academic foundation and support to be successful.”

The district has continued to expand advanced coursework based on student interests and emerging career opportunities, including AP Precalculus, expanded computer science offerings and opportunities in areas such as cybersecurity.

The academic update also highlighted the district’s performance on the 2025-26 ILEARN assessment, with 66.4 percent of students demonstrating proficiency in English language arts and 68.1 percent in mathematics. Both results were more than 24 percentage points above state averages, placing HSE among Indiana’s highest-performing school districts.

While those results are encouraging, district leaders emphasized that assessment data plays an important role in identifying where students need additional support and where they are ready for greater challenges.

Indiana’s redesigned ILEARN assessment provides checkpoints throughout the school year, allowing educators to monitor student progress, identify learning gaps, and adjust instruction before the end-of-year assessment.

At the junior high level, for example, students receive targeted instruction during a dedicated period based on specific skills they have not yet mastered. Those interventions change throughout the year as students’ needs evolve.

HSE Schools has taken a similar approach to literacy instruction, investing in updated curriculum, research-based reading practices aligned with the science of reading and instructional coaches in every K-6 building. These coaches work alongside teachers to examine classroom data and make instructional adjustments based on student needs.

“Strong results are worth celebrating, but they also show us where we can continue to improve,” Kegley said. “Whether a student needs additional instruction to master a skill or is ready for a greater academic challenge, our responsibility is to recognize those needs and respond. That’s the work happening in our classrooms every day.”

District leaders emphasized that academic progress is not the result of any single program or initiative, but rather the combined efforts of teachers, staff, students, and families, supported by effective curriculum, professional development, and timely information about student learning.

As HSE Schools looks ahead, the focus remains on strengthening foundational skills, providing targeted support, and expanding opportunities for students to pursue more challenging coursework.

“Our goal is to keep raising expectations while making sure every student has the support and opportunities to meet them,” Kegley said.