The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) is working on a major overhaul of the school accountability system. The first draft of the new model was unveiled in June and is expected to take effect in fall of next year.
The new model will replace the previous system (including the A-F grading system, which had been on pause since 2018) with a broader point-based system that values both academic outcomes and student skills/experiences such as communication, collaboration, work-ethic, civic/digital literacy and career/postsecondary readiness.
Key checkpoints in the draft are grade 3, grades 4-8, grade 10 and grade 12 – each with multiple ways to demonstrate student success, not just test scores.
Under House Enrolled Act 1498, the Indiana State Board of Education must adopt the final rule by December. The IDOE is now taking public comment on its site and will hold an in-person public hearing on November 17 in the history reference room at the Indiana State Library. The State Board of Education is expected to approve the new framework at its December 10 meeting.
School districts will need to prepare now for a shift in how performance is measured and consider work-based learning, credentials, soft skills and attendance/engagement metrics. Businesses and higher-ed/training providers may see opportunities to partner in metrics around career readiness and work-based learning.
