The Indiana Department of Education would be required to develop a new accountability system for schools by the end of 2025 under a proposal in the Statehouse. It would replace the current system, which contains two levels of evaluation that rely heavily on testing.
Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner says a better system to grade schools would consider student evaluations for specific skills at strategic times.
“What we know in education is there are certain grade levels and points in time that really, really matter for us to understand where a child is,” she said.
Jenner said third grade is a critical time for students who are learning to read. She added that students’ IREAD scores should be part of the new accountability system.
Lawmakers debated the merits of relying on national assessments like the SAT for high school students or using tests like end-of-course assessments. Indiana previously used those assessments, but Jenner says the process wasn’t effective. She said the IDOE will continue to seek input on high school accountability.
Join the conversation and sign up for our weekly text group: the Indiana Two-Way . Your comments and questions help us find the answers you need on statewide issues, including our project Civically, Indiana and our 2025 bill tracker .
Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) asked lawmakers to consider getting rid of school letter grades entirely.
“I don’t see the value of telling somebody in Carmel that your school’s a B school and the one down the street’s an A,” he said.
He proposed a pass-or-fail format.
Multiple parents who testified on the bill asked lawmakers to keep A-to-F rankings for schools. They said those letter grades make it easier for parents to compare schools.
The bill passed committee unanimously.
Kirsten is our education reporter. Contact her at kadair@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @kirsten_adair .
