Indiana

Indiana cuts number of academic standards with a new statewide test coming soon

Published

2 years ago

June 13, 2023

Indiana cuts number of academic standards with a new statewide test coming soon

Knowledge is power — but knowledge of idioms is no longer required for Hoosier students.

That’s because the Indiana state school board on Wednesday approved a major cut to the number of state academic standards in order to prioritize what students must know in every grade level.

The goal of trimming back the standards — mandated by a 2022 state law — is to help prepare more students who are ready for college and career when they graduate. The Indiana Department of Education will next work on creating a new version of the statewide assessment, the ILEARN, that matches the revised standards and may include informal “checkpoint” tests throughout the year.

Department officials, working with focus groups, were charged with cutting 25% of standards, and then designating one-third of the remaining standards as “essential.”

The changes, which the board approved in a 9-2 vote, affect four core academic areas: language arts, math, social studies, and science. They go into effect for the 2023-24 school year.

The reduced standards received a mostly warm welcome from members of the board and the public, who said the move would allow teachers to focus on the most important skills.

“We’ve been wrestling with the myriad of standards that sometimes can be a mile wide and an inch deep,” said Steve Baker, principal at Bluffton High School in northwest Indiana. “This enormity of standards has overwhelmed my teachers … to guess which ones were the most important, and which ones we have to eliminate.”

But some board members said the cuts didn’t go far enough, especially in the earliest grades.

“We have to be more prescriptive about what we want our kids to know,” said board member Pat Mapes, who voted against the slimmed-down standards.

Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner
Courtesy of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s office.

Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said across all grade levels, the board’s review reduced the number of standards by more than what the law required. Kindergarten standards were reduced by 35%, while high school standards were reduced by 29%.

For example, the number of language arts standards for third grade — a critical year for literacy — has been nearly halved from 62 to 34. Many of the standards cut are those that students should have covered in previous years, such as recognizing alphabetical order or the parts of a sentence.

The review also merged three sections on reading literature, nonfiction, and vocabulary into a single new section on reading comprehension, with standards on idioms and using reference materials like dictionaries left on the cutting room floor.

Along with pruning the standards, state officials also approved new STEM standards, as well as updates to standards in early learning, health, and fine arts.

Jenner said the department will now turn its attention to aligning the statewide assessment in math and reading — the ILEARN — to the new standards. That process must be complete by March 2025.

One proposal for the revised test from the department would create short “checkpoint” tests throughout the year. These scores would be reported only to teachers and students and their parents, with an opportunity for students to retake the assessments if needed. Schools would still give a final, summative assessment at the end of the year for statewide reporting purposes.

“What we currently do is just kind of an autopsy,” said Mapes of the current state test. “It’s too late, and those kids move on to the next grade.”

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.

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Indiana

Pacers' Aaron Nesmith to return from injury

Published

5 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

Pacers' Aaron Nesmith to return from injury

DETROIT (WISH) — The Pacers are getting a key player back from injury on Thursday. Starting forward Aaron Nesmith is available for their game against the Pistons.

Nesmith’s last game was all the way back on November 1st. He missed the last 35 games with a sprained left ankle.

Nesmith averaged 9.2 points per game in the six games he played earlier this season. He also recorded 4 rebounds per game and shot 54.5% from three-point range.

Tyrese Haliburton is also available on Thursday. He missed Tuesday’s game against the Cavaliers with a groin strain. It was the first game he missed all season.

The Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night. The two teams are separated by just a half game in the standings, with the Pacers as the 6-seed and the Pistons as the 7-seed. It’s also a critical game for tiebreakers, as the Pacers are 1-1 against the Pistons so far this season.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.

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Indiana

Man killed in police-involved shooting identified in Northwest Indiana, officials say

Published

13 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

Man killed in police-involved shooting identified in Northwest Indiana, officials say

ST. JOHN, Ind. (WLS) — A man who was killed in a police-involved shooting on Wednesday has been identified.

The shooting happened around 11:30 a.m. in the 14000 block of West 93rd Place in St. John, Indiana, the Lake County, Indiana Sheriff’s Department said.

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A St. John police officer had responded to a home at the location for a call of a domestic disturbance, the sheriff said.

After a physical altercation, shots were fired and a 40-year-old man was wounded, the sheriff said. The man, who neighbors say was barefoot and wearing pajamas, was taken to a hospital.

The Lake County coroner’s officer later identified the man as Brandon Perkins.

“Just intense. I mean, caught everybody off guard,” St. John resident George Jaksich said. “The neighbors were all freaked out.”

Residents in the Bramblewood subdivision who heard the gunfire said they watched as officers performed CPR on the man after the shooting.

“I looked out, and I see a guy falling backwards,” Jaksich said. “I see some cops on the west side of him… and yeah, then right away they kicked something away. It turns out those were dumbbells when I walked over there, but they were giving him CPR.”

Video from the scene showed a couple of hand weights sitting in the street, but it’s unclear if the man who was shot had those in his possession.

No further information about the shooting was immediately available.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Department Detective Bureau continues to investigate.

SEE ALSO | Man, 23, shot, killed by Gary police amid domestic dispute

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Indiana

Indiana basketball vs. Ohio State expert prediction, start time, TV channel for 1/17/25

Published

21 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

Indiana basketball vs. Ohio State expert prediction, start time, TV channel for 1/17/25

Indiana basketball visits Ohio State on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. This matchup offers the question: Is it better to keep losing by 2 points, or by 25?

The Hoosiers (13-5, 4-3 Big Ten) have been blown out two games in a row, prompting a rebellion among fans. Coach Mike Woodson and players are preaching patience, but IU is decidedly on the outside looking in for an NCAA Tournament bid. The Hoosiers could desperately use Malik Reneau (14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals), who has missed almost all of the last five games with a knee injury.

The Buckeyes (10-7, 2-4) have come painfully close to winning their last two games, falling by a basket to Oregon and Wisconsin. They beat Minnesota in double overtime before that. Bruce Thronton has been OSU’s driving force, averaging 16.7 points in conference play. Meechie Johnson, who started the first 10 games, has been on personal leave.

Want more Hoosiers coverage? Zach Osterman and Michael Niziolek keep up with IU all season. Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter.

Indiana basketball prediction, pick

Zach Osterman, IndyStar: Ohio State 79-69

Things have taken an ugly turn in the last week for the Hoosiers, who now need a good road result to rebound from consecutive thumpings at Iowa and against Illinois. Ohio State is a strange team, talented and well-rated by metrics but losers of a lot of close games. So much of this game feels like it will be defined by how Indiana manages Buckeyes point guard Bruce Thornton.