Indiana schools will once again be assigned A-to-F letter grades, reinstating an accountability measure that has been paused since the 2020-21 school year.

On Wednesday, state education leaders provided an early look at a new system for evaluating how well schools educate students. However, it remains unclear when schools will begin receiving grades under the updated system.

The overhaul follows years of debate about the future of high school diplomas, addressing a literacy crisis among elementary students, and assessing the pandemic’s impact on student achievement.

Work on a new accountability system has been underway for some time. A 2023 law tasked the State Board of Education with updating the way it evaluates public and state-accredited nonpublic schools.

The board is still required to use the A-to-F grading scale but must align it with metrics in the Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed dashboard. The dashboard, launched more than two years ago, allows families to assess school quality.

Metrics include academic performance, such as third-grade reading proficiency, growth in math skills, and earning college credit.

State lawmakers could also push for further changes to the system during the legislative session, similar to recent discussions on high school diplomas.

New system this year

House Bill 1498, authored by Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, would strip back some of the older accountability framework so that a new A-F rule can be built up by the board.

However, if passed, developing a new accountability system would be placed on a tight deadline: establishing a new model by the end of 2025.

The bill outlines specific guidelines for measuring school performance. The new system would:

• Prioritize students earning diploma seals,
• Be based on data from the GPS dashboard,
• Include proficiency rates from state assessments, and
• Feature a high school “on-track to graduate” indicator.

HB 1498 also calls for null letter grades to continue through the 2024-25 school year.

State Department of Education staff shared potential changes to the system during a presentation Wednesday.

“This framework is to initiate a much broader critical discussion, to take us from a recommended framework to a final model,” said Ron Sandlin, the education department’s deputy chief strategy officer.

The department has spent around 17 months talking with Hoosiers and developing their proposal, Sandlin said. Sandlin said the state cannot rely on older models to measure this next era of education.

In 2011 the A-F system was created to replace more descriptive ratings with letter grades. Then, in 2014, the system was updated to prioritize student’s academic progress.

Under the new proposed priorities, updated ratings would consider more than just academic performance and graduation rates.

For 10th-grade indicators, the system would expand beyond academics to include attendance, advanced coursework, and reduced chronic absenteeism. Schools would also be credited for students who score above 860 on the PSAT — a benchmark achieved by more than 90% of test-takers.

“At 10th grade, where are our students,” Sandlin said. “Is everyone on a path? Does everyone have a plan, and do we have the capacity to support that plan? And our accountability model will incentivize, encourage and celebrate those schools that are effectively doing that, as opposed to now waiting until the very end and saying, ‘Well, you got there or you didn’t’”.

The changes in accountability for high schools would be paired with the state’s diploma model, so success for seniors would be measured by completing a diploma seal, work-based learning experience or credential of value. Students would be on their chosen path for either an education, employment or enlistment seal. 

Board members expressed support for the initial themes of the department’s plan. Scott Bess said the older system put a lot of weight on growth, which resulted in leaving students behind.

“If you could get a kid to achieve and grow, you could get 125 points for that student, which means you didn’t have to worry about this other kid over here who’s only going to get 50 points,” Bess said. “Put those two together and it’s still a good grade, right? And so you can see people leaving groups of students behind, because from an accountability system, it didn’t matter.”

Board member B.J. Watts said the system should be kept simple and “a tool for getting better”.

“Are the students in our buildings getting better while they’re there,” Watt said.

The board plans to continue discussions in the coming months, engaging with Hoosier families and educators. The department will also seek public feedback throughout the process before finalizing the system.

The A-to-F accountability system was initially designed to force failing schools to improve. If a school received failing grades for too many consecutive years, the state could sever it from the district and appoint a new manager. In 2011, four schools in Indianapolis and one in Gary were taken over.

However, the years-long intervention was widely seen as a failure by local communities and some lawmakers.

In 2021, a state law ended the state takeover of underperforming public schools.

Rachel Fradette is the WFYI Statehouse education reporter. Contact Rachel at rfradette@wfyi.org.

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The beats went on for No. 19 Illinois against Indiana on Tuesday in Bloomington – a 94-69 hammering, to be specific – as guard Kasparas Jakucionis returned to the lineup and, along with him, the Illini’s briefly lost mojo. No one could be certain what team would show up to take on the Hoosiers before the opening tip, and by halftime it was clear that it was the Big Ten favorites.

The leap from excellence to sustained greatness is a chasm that would make Evel Knievel balk, but the Illini (13-4, 5-2 Big Ten) seem to have the springs to make it happen. Let’s take a quick look at the individual performances that lifted Illinois – for one game, at least – head and shoulders over its border rival.

After the USC loss, coach Brad Underwood admitted Ivisic need to not only play more minutes but be more involved. Check and check. Against Indiana, Ivisic was an all-around force (17 points, 11 rebounds and four assists), posting a plus-27 plus-minus in his 25 minutes and setting a tone that all future Illini opponents would do well to heed.

Returning from a two-game injury absence, Jakucionis didn’t skip a single beat. He had 19 points (including three three-pointers), four assists and three rebounds in the first half, leading Illinois to a 60-32 halftime lead. What came after (foul trouble and minimal production) hardly mattered. The damage – at his hands – had already been done.

It’s hard to overstate Boswell’s value to the Illini. He can switch effortlessly between the 1 and 2, whether from game to game or moment to moment, providing playmaking, shooting and penetration on one end while terrorizing opposing ball-handlers on the other. His game-high 22 points, seven rebounds and lockdown D against Indiana were the proof.

Gibbs-Lawhorn has carved out a wonderful niche for himself, attacking the rim in transition, sinking big shots in the halfcourt and providing atomic energy off the bench. He had 12 points (two threes) and a couple rebounds against the Hoosiers, posting a plus-17 plus-minus in 16 minutes of floor time.

Johnson had only five points against Indiana, but he hit all of his free throws (3-for-3) and plucked 10 rebounds – four of them from the offensive glass – in 18 minutes. As usual, he did exactly what the Illini need him to do (which is plenty) and took almost nothing else off the table. It’s uncanny, really.

Humrichous came down off his two-game scoring cloud, but his seven points (3-for-6 field-goal shooting), five rebounds and defense-stretching presence were just fine on an evening when several teammates were cooking. They can’t all be 20-point bangers.

Against Indiana, Riley went without a three for the third time in four games – and still acquitted himself nicely. His plus-24 plus-minus in 10 minutes was a bit of a mirage, but he played within himself on both ends (five points, two rebounds and two assists) and appears to be adjusting with each game.

White focused on creating in the paint against the Hoosiers, which didn’t go so well (2-for-9 shooting). in this instance. No worries. It’s rare when White doesn’t make something happen offensively, and he was again a reliable contributor on the boards (six rebounds).

There isn’t a lot of in between with Davis, a shooting specialist who can be targeted on defense. He missed all four of his shots from the floor against IU, but he did add a couple rebounds (one offensive) and an assist.

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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.