Indiana
April 30, 2015
IN: State Lawmakers Consider Accountability Overhaul As Other States Consider Pauses
February 8, 2021
Continuing the national conversation around the role of state school accountability systems during the pandemic, Indiana lawmakers are considering a bill that would revamp the state’s approach to accountability by reconsidering state “takeovers” of the lowest performing schools, re-weighting A-F school grades, and developing a...
Indiana Report Cards Face Test Transition, COVID Closures
October 7, 2020
Indiana’s state school report cards will, like those of most other states navigating the cancellation of spring testing due to Covid-19, lack information typically required under ESSA. However, Indiana now faces two year’s of incomplete or missing data, as state officials had been granted protection...
Indiana Community Programs Receive Support From ESSA-Funded Grant
September 14, 2020
Over $10 million will be distributed to 45 “out-of-school” programs in Indiana, according to the state department of education. The fund, which is continued through Title IV of ESSA, focuses on providing support to “local programs providing a safe and enriching learning environment to bolster...
Indiana State Board of Education Seeks to Improve Literacy
July 8, 2020
The State Board of Education approved the optional use of the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD-3) for 4th-grade students for the upcoming fall 2020 term. The goal of the IREAD-3 is to help local education officials make data-driven decisions surrounding the literacy of their...
Indiana Focused More on Connection Than Attendance
May 3, 2020
“Attendance is now one of the many facets of K-12 education that has been redefined because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced school buildings to close and most students to transition to online learning,” writes Allie Kirkman. The reality is, argues Kirkman, that no...
INview Gives New Insights for Families Seeking School Information
February 10, 2020
Launched last month by the Indiana Department of Education, Indiana’s new data portal, INview, “aims to make it easier for families to access school information.” According to spokesperson Adam Baker, the site includes data not previously available, including “school and corporation level data on student...
Indiana’s New Online Data Portal Takes User-Friendly Approach to Reporting School Data
February 6, 2020
The Indiana Department of Education’s new data portal, INview “provides both general information about the state’s approximately 1,900 K-12 schools, along with data visualizations on performance metrics like attendance and academic achievement.” The tool was intentionally designed to present school data in a user-friendly manner...
Indiana Launches Modernized Data Portal to Fulfill ESSA Accountability Requirements
January 31, 2020
Last week, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) formally launched INview, a “new innovative school information and data portal,” which was “designed to fulfill federal accountability requirements for transparency under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).” The portal gives parents, community members, and the general...
Indiana Department of Education Releases School Accountability Ratings
January 3, 2020
Based on federal school accountability ratings released by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) last week, “more than 56% of public state high schools and 53% of elementary and middle schools” in Indiana “received a rating of Meets Expectations or Exceeds Expectations.” The U.S. Department...
Indiana Governor Calls for Delay in Assessment Consequences
August 26, 2019
Indiana Governor Eric Holoclm is calling on the Indiana legislature to “delay consequences for schools after the state learned ILEARN scores dropped” when compared to the previous assessment, ISTEP+. “This action will ease the transition to ILEARN, which is a student assessment that allows Indiana...
Indiana Falling Short When It Comes to Foster Students?
July 21, 2019
According to The 74, this spring, when Indiana released a “bleak report” regarding educational outcomes for students in foster care, it “broke new ground in making public the state’s troubling statistics.” And the “same Indiana law that called for the first-ever release of the distressing...
Indiana, Feds Resolve Struggling School Funding Dispute
June 22, 2019
“U.S. education officials have resolved a dispute among Indiana officials by clarifying that struggling schools within ‘transformation zones’ can be eligible to receive federal school improvement grant money beyond four years,” reports Ted Booker for the South Bend Tribune. “The dispute was resolved by the...
South Bend, Indiana, Transformation Plan Hits ESSA Snag…
June 9, 2019
According to Ted Booker at the South Bend Tribune, the Indiana city’s “blueprint for turning around five struggling South Bend schools was crafted with the understanding that federal school improvement grant money would be available for five years to help make staffing and curriculum changes.” However, the “five-year...
Indiana Releases Foster-Care Student Data
April 10, 2019
According to Kate Stringer at The 74, Indiana recently released “one of the most detailed” reports to-date regarding how foster youth are doing in school. “That makes the state a leader” as ESSA “now requires all states to report academic data for these students, and...
Indiana Seeks to Change ESSA Plan to Drop Federal School Ratings
December 13, 2018
Jeanie Lindsay reports that in Indiana, state officials have proposed a change to the state’s ESSA plan, which would stop schools in the state from getting two separate ratings—one state, one federal—next year. “The state department of education’s ESSA change would get rid of the...
IN Grades Better Than Federal Grades for Indiana Schools
November 14, 2018
According to Stephanie Wang in the Indianapolis Business Journal, most of Indiana’s schools “received better grades under the state’s rating system than they did based on new federal standards, according to 2018 A-F grades released” last week. Most schools in the state received two grades...
Outgoing Chief McCormick Laments Indiana’s Dueling Accountability Systems
October 12, 2018
Indiana’s outgoing education chief, Jennifer McCormick, isn’t pleased with the two accountability systems that are now in place in the state, Daarel Burnette II reports in Education Week. “McCormick said in an interview that she and the board early on in her tenure had disagreements...
Experts Not Very Keen on Indiana’s “Two Grade” School Rating System
August 23, 2018
National experts told Indiana education officials recently that “the state’s plan to give schools two A-F grades for the foreseeable future is unsustainable—and that parts of both grade models could be problematic going forward,” Shaina Cavazos reports for Chalkbeat. Indiana has this two-tiered system because...
Two Report Cards Better than One (or Not…)?
May 29, 2018
Niki Kelly reports for the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette that Indiana schools are set to get two grades starting this year. One will be under the state’s existing accountability statutes, while the other will be “under the state’s plan complying with the federal Every Student...
Feds Deny Indiana Grad Rate Waiver Request
April 27, 2018
According to Eric Weddle at Indiana Public Media, ESSA “requires states to report graduation rates uniformly,” which “means Indiana’s least rigorous diploma of the four offered, the general diploma, no longer counts in graduation rates.” Recently, the U.S. Education Department “denied Indiana’s request for a waiver...
So, About That Letter Grade Change…
March 23, 2018
According to Arika Herring at the Indianapolis Star, the Indiana Board of Education is putting the brakes on changes to its proposed A-F letter grading system for another year or more. Without moving forward with the new system, “schools will receive two letter grades—one state,...
State Board Seeks Accountability on Accountability
February 22, 2018
Eagle 99.3 FM WSCH reports that the Indiana State Board of Education is “once again looking to revise the state’s school accountability rules.” In January, the board voted 7-4 “to advance proposed changes for school accountability, in which schools and school corporations are annually assigned...
Solution to Great Indiana Diploma Debacle?
January 8, 2018
The Indianapolis Business Journal reports how, last year, Indiana officials learned from their federal counterparts that the state’s “general diploma” would no longer qualify to be included in the total number of graduates reported to the federal government. State Senator Dennis Kruse—the GOP chair of...
Changes in Indiana’s Graduation Rate Should Be Focus on Diploma Debate
December 1, 2017
There’s been no shortage of coverage of the changes that Indiana will be implementing to its high school diploma. By doing away with its general diploma, it has been reported that Indiana’s graduation rate could drop as much as 12 percent. But, as Indiana Public...
Could ESSA’s Flexibility Help Close Achievement Gap?
November 25, 2017
An NWI Times article highlights the perspectives of educators on the impact of ESSA and raises awareness of what the new law aims to accomplish, including how these “school accountability plans, plus ESSA’s emphasis on educating all students equally, could be a significant factor in...
Local Officials Worry About ESSA’s Impact
November 24, 2017
Carmen McCollum and Jessica Towhey report that state and local education officials are concerned ESSA “may negatively affect their districts,” especially regarding a “new requirement that will lower the graduation rate for high schools by not including those students who graduate with a general diploma,...
Indiana Grad Rate Woes Just Keep on Coming
November 10, 2017
The Indianapolis Star reports (again) about Indiana’s quest to “save the state’s high school graduation rate from sinking toward to the bottom of national rankings” because if they don’t, thousands of student diplomas “will be discounted by the U.S. Department of Education and no longer...
Indiana Grad Rate Debate Continues
November 7, 2017
Indiana stakeholders are concerned that local high school graduation rates will “slide” under ESSA because the law is “changing the way the numbers are formulated,” so in the next academic year, “general diplomas will not be counted,” which could create “the misconception that fewer students...
State Plan Submissions and Drafts
October 17, 2017
Approved State Plans Alabama: Final Plan Approved (5/7/18) Alaska: Final Plan Approved (5/16/18) Arizona: Final Plan Approved (9/6/17) Arkansas: Final Plan Approved (1/16/18) Colorado: Final Plan Approved (5/7/18) Connecticut: Final Plan Approved (8/15/17) Delaware: Final Plan Approved (8/2/17) District of Columbia: Final Plan Approved (8/28/17) Georgia:...
IN Changes School Graduation Rate Factors’
September 19, 2017
Under ESSA, “thousands of Indiana diplomas known as general diplomas would no longer count for a school’s graduation rate,” and Indiana “could see its statewide graduation rate drop from 89 percent to 76 percent.” The state’s Congressional Delegation “wants the federal education department to give...
IN Governor Gives Stamp of Approval to State’s ESSA Plan
September 18, 2017
Governor Eric Holcomb “has given his stamp of approval” to Indiana’s ESSA plan. The state’s top education officials seem to have, at least thus far, “reached some level of consensus on how to move forward.”
IN Submits ESSA Plan to Governor
September 10, 2017
Indiana’s ESSA plan “is on Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk” and is awaiting his signature. The plan “would keep student assessment in place under a new statewide test, take on chronic absenteeism and eventually assess a school’s climate for student achievement.”
IN Ed Officials Focus on Shifting Ed Policy
August 22, 2017
Indiana education officials are “focused on shifting education policy to comply with” ESSA, but some have noted that, “given Indiana’s history, ESSA is likely to be just the latest in a long line of education policy changes.”
IN Submits ESSA Plan to Governor
August 17, 2017
Indiana’s plan was delivered to the Governor’s office Tuesday where he and his staff will have 30 days to review and edit before it is submitted to the United States Department of Education on September 18. To view Indiana’s ESSA plan, visit: http://www.doe.in.gov/essa
IN Dept. of Ed Releases ESSA Plan
August 17, 2017
The Indiana Department of Education announced today the publication of Indiana’s ESSA plan.
IN Agrees to Reformat Grading System under ESSA
August 2, 2017
The Indiana State Board of Education agreed to reformat the state’s A-F grading system under ESSA. The proposed system makes changes to chronic absenteeism, students learning English, test score improvement, college and career readiness, and the overall A-F grading formula.
IN Education Officials Propose New Tests
July 24, 2017
Indiana education officials are “proposing future state math and science tests in Spanish — and possibly other languages.” Supporters of native language tests argue “they can be far less jarring for children than sitting them in front of a test written in a language they...
IN State Board Considers Changes when Grading School Performance
July 14, 2017
The Indiana State Board of Education is “considering giving student proficiency more significance than student growth when grading school performance” under the state’s ESSA plan. According to board member David Freitas, “Proficiency is more important than growth.” The board will revisit the issue at the...
IN Dept. of Ed Accepting Public Feedback on Draft ESSA Plan
July 8, 2017
The Indiana Dept. of Education is accepting public feedback on the state’s draft ESSA plan. Greensburg Community School Corporation Superintendent Tom Hunter “was pleased to see the department offering this comment period.” He also stated, “You have to have some opportunity for parents to voice...
IN Dept. of Ed Releases Draft ESSA Plan
June 30, 2017
The Indiana Dept. of Education released the state’s draft ESSA plan. According to Patrick McAlister, IDOE’s policy director and lead writer on the plan, “ESSA is our moment to make some interesting investments and changes in the state and really try and make the process...
IN Dept. of Ed Gathers Stakeholder Feedback at Public Forum
April 19, 2017
The Indiana Dept. of Education gathered feedback from educators at a public forum on the state’s draft ESSA plan. The meeting included small group discussions and presentations on what teachers thought should be recognized in the state’s final plan.
IN Dept. of Ed Hosts More Than 100 Stakeholders at Public Forum
April 4, 2017
The Indiana Dept. of Education hosted more than 100 stakeholders at a public forum to discuss the state’s ESSA plan. Ryan Snoddy, superintendent of the Northwestern School Corporation, was “impressed with the ideas presented at the meeting” and believed the discussions were a “good start.”...
IN Dept. of Ed Hosts Public Form about ESSA Plan
March 29, 2017
The Indiana Dept. of Education will host a public forum to discuss the state’s ESSA plan. The meeting will “begin with a brief overview of ESSA, followed by small group discussions involving attendees and IDOE staff.”
IN State Superintendent Holds First Meetings with Educators
August 22, 2016
Early this week, State Superintendent Glenda Ritz held the first of a series of meetings with a group of 19 educators tapped to help examine how the state rates schools and make sure the A-F school grading system meets ESSA regulations. According to the Chalkbeat report,...
June 29, 2016
The state announced several regional events for public to provide input across the state beginning in mid-September.
IN Dept. of Education Holds First ESSA Meeting
June 29, 2016
The state Dept. of Education held its first meeting on ESSA with local Superintendents, which provided an overview of ESSA and went into more details on the components of Assessment, Accountability, and Federal Funds. The presentations and materials can be found here.
Gov. Pence Requests More Information on Federal Dollars for Statewide Pre-K
June 2, 2016
Gov. Mike Pence sent a letter to the Dept. of Education requesting more information about federal dollars for a statewide pre-K program created under ESSA. He asks to be notified when the application is open. Read more here.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Releases State ESSA Primers
May 16, 2016
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s primers include individual state by state accountability system fact sheets, which detail each state’s current accountability system, what could change under ESSA, and what to be asking state leaders. See details about your state here.