Indiana schools shift to new performance report cards
Indiana is pushing for heightened transparency concerning the performance of its schools. Coming next month, schools across the state will showcase their accountability and performance metrics online through newly introduced report cards. This move will encompass all public schools, as well as those non-public schools accredited by the state.
These freshly designed report cards are set to replace Indiana’s prior grading system which utilized an A to F scale. Elementary schools, under the new arrangement, will publicize metrics like their IREAD-3 and ILEARN pass rates and offer insights into the prevalence of chronic absenteeism among their students. On the other hand, high schools will shed light on their graduation statistics, average SAT scores, and the proportion of students who are enrolled in Advanced Placement programs or dual credit courses.
An added layer of transparency involves financial disclosures: every school participating in this initiative will need to publish their funding on a per-student basis. Additionally, they will be comparing and contrasting their data with that of analogous institutions.
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) played a pivotal role in crafting these report cards, releasing them to schools last Friday. Schools now have a deadline until October 15th to integrate this information into their respective online platforms.
This novel approach is grounded in a legislative change brought about by HEA 1591. This law mandates that the State Board of Education not assign any letter grades for the academic year 2023-24. As the landscape of educational evaluation evolves, the IDOE is slated to furnish state legislators with augmented accountability suggestions by the close of 2024. This shift signals Indiana’s commitment to offering a more holistic and comprehensive view of school performance to parents, guardians, and the broader community.
