State Board of Education OKs ‘A-F’ Deadline

Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz.

The Indiana State Board of Education is moving forward on several fronts. In addition to approving the release of $40 million in technology and construction loans, the board has set a deadline for the release of A-F accountability grades for districts. Final grades are set to be delivered January 18, which is 2-3 months earlier than initially requested by the Indiana Department of Education.

The grades for the 2014-2015 school year will use the same formula as the previous school year. Chalkbeat Indiana Reporter Shaina Cavasos says next year’s grades will be determined by a new model that equally factors in student test scores and school improvement from previous years. This year’s grades have been delayed for multiple reasons, including scoring issues during standardized testing.

During the board’s regular meeting, they also set up criteria for students taking the high school remediation exam and established new "cut scores" for teacher licensing exams.

The board is also considering new diplomas proposed by Superintendent Glenda Ritz and the Department of Education for the 2018-2019 school year. A special meeting has been called for October to examine the proposal.