Indiana schools have not received A-F grades since 2018. But a new framework for grading schools must be approved before the end of the year by the State Board of Education. Photo from Amelia Pak-Harvey, Chalkbeat.

By MJ Slaby
Chalkbeat Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS — State education leaders want to measure schools by what students achieve, not punish schools for what students don’t. And they want to grade schools on more than test scores.

A second draft of an accountability system for Indiana schools was presented to the State Board of Education by Indiana Department of Education officials on Wednesday, Oct. 15. The board has until the end of the year to approve the new framework, per state law, and is expected to vote on a new framework at its Wednesday, Dec. 10 meeting. Schools would receive grades no later than December 2026.

The proposed grading system assigns points to students based on their academic mastery, measured through test scores, and gives them additional points for other knowledge, skills, and experiences that state education leaders say students need for future success. That includes earning workforce credentials and skills like work ethic and communication and collaboration.

Each student’s overall score is then averaged with other students for a school’s overall grade. Schools are not docked additional points for students who don’t pass tests or master specific skills. Schools receive a letter grade based on a scale of zero to 100 points, with 90 points and above graded as an A and 59 and below as an F.

The blend of academics and skills in the proposed accountability model is the biggest change from previous models, and one that board members and Indiana’s education chief defended during the meeting, saying there are some people who want Indiana to focus just on academic mastery.

“There are other things that matter as well, and this is representative of what we’re really driving towards,” said Katie Jenner, Indiana secretary of education.

She said the new model would prioritize academic mastery and skill development, and stressed that “academic mastery, assessment and accountability matter in Indiana, regardless of what the federal government does or does not do.”

“For people in our country who think that if we have all humans take a test and if they pass or not that determines their success, you are fooling yourself because there are leaders in seats all over our country who probably couldn’t pass the test,” Jenner said. “We have to see the full human picture.”

School Grading Framework Focuses On Individual Students

Indiana schools have not been graded since 2018 due to changes in state testing and the pandemic. In 2022, Indiana created the Graduates Prepared to Succeed dashboard that includes a profile of each school, but not a single grade. But some families found it too complex. So officials also want the new accountability system to be transparent and easier for people to understand.

By assigning scores to each student first, the proposal incentivizes schools to work with individual students to increase their school grade, instead of focusing on increasing the average of one metric, said Ron Sandlin, chief innovation officer for the state education department, who presented the draft to the board on Wednesday, Oct. 15.

That approach to maximizing outcomes for every individual student is a “fundamental shift,” he said.

Overall, the second draft of the accountability model is largely similar to the first draft officials presented to the state board in June. Students who are proficient in a subject on a state exam earn points, but so do students who are approaching proficient – just a lower amount.

However, it does include additional opportunities for students to earn points based on work that schools are already doing to help students who are not reaching milestones.

For example, a student who is deemed to not be where they should be academically in ninth grade, but is able to get back on track in 10th grade would earn points to reflect the work the student and school did. Points are also earned for students who are identified at risk for not passing IREAD as second graders, but pass the test in third grade.

The proposal awards points for the readiness seals in the new high school diplomas. But it also includes a way for students to earn points for the old high school diplomas, as schools transition students from one diploma format to the other.

State education board member Kristin Rentschler said she works with students on a daily basis as a social studies teacher, and while school accountability frameworks are not something students think about, this draft would shift the conversation that educators have with students.

Specifically, it would give hope to students who struggle with test taking because educators can say “that’s not the only thing you are being measured on kiddo,” Rentschler said.

Next up is a public comment period before the final draft in December. An online public comment period is now open through Nov. 17. A public hearing for feedback will be held at 11 a.m. on Nov. 17 in the history reference room at the Indiana State Library, 315 W. Ohio St. in Indianapolis.