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Indianapolis Star
4 days ago
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana unveils draft of A-F school grades model valuing tests and student skills
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) released its first draft of its new grading model for schools that, for the first time in the state's history, takes into account not just test scores, but also a student's unique educational experience. The department was tasked with creating a new A-F school grading model after lawmakers passed House Bill 1498 this legislative session. Now, the state must create a new methodology for grading how schools perform and hand out letter grades for each campus by the end of 2026. On June 4, 2025, state leaders presented the first draft of the grading model to the Indiana State Board of Education and Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner says it elevates academic mastery and skill development to be successful after high school. 'While the specifics will iterate along the way, our primary goal will remain the same: to ensure that our future accountability model values all of the key characteristics essential to student success, as well as every student's unique pathway,' Jenner said in a statement. The board must approve the grading criteria by the end of 2025, but it will have a series of public hearings and likely publish a second draft before the model reaches its final vote. This first draft of the grading model was made with the foundation of considering the five characteristics already used in the state's 'Graduates Prepared to Succeed' platform, which gathers data points to evaluate schools on: To evaluate academic mastery, the state will look at standardized test scores from ILEARN, IREAD and the SAT. To grade career and postsecondary readiness, they will see how many diploma seals are earned. To grade work ethic, the state will look at attendance rates. Evaluating the civic, financial and digital literacy will come from the required coursework mandatory for all students in those fields. Grading the communication and collaboration characteristics is being formulated. This draft of how schools will be graded looks at specific points in a student's K-12 journey, with an emphasis on grades 3-8, 10th grade and 12th grade. The letter grades for schools in this first draft are based on the 0-100 scale with an 'F' grade meaning schools only got 0-59 points, a 'D' grade 60-69 points, a 'C' grade 70-79 points, a 'B' grade 80-89 points and an 'A' grade is 90-100 points. At the elementary level, schools will be graded on how well students perform on ELA and math standardized testing, as well as reading proficiency, specifically among third graders. Attendance will also be a factor in how schools are graded. Schools teaching students in grades 4-6 will be graded on how well students perform on math, science and social studies tests, as well as whether students are progressing academically compared to the prior year. More background on this move: Indiana schools will again receive A-F grades, but how they will be measured undecided High schools will be judged, in part, on students' SAT performance, graduation rates, work-based learning, and certain credentials or college-level credits earned. The draft also includes a possibility of grading schools on how many English language learning students meet their language proficiency goals that year. While the formal 30-day public feedback window isn't technically open yet, parents can submit feedback to the IDOE on this first draft starting now. Anyone who wishes to submit feedback can do so through an online Jotform. Once the 30-day public comment period opens later this summer, the IDOE will also hold a public hearing where anyone can provide comments in person. A second draft is expected to be shared late summer or early fall, in which another 30-day window of public comment will happen. Keep up with school news: Sign up for Study Hall, IndyStar's free weekly education newsletter.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
$20M in COVID relief at risk for 15 Indiana school districts after feds rescind extension
Potentially 15 school districts and charter schools will no longer be reimbursed for projects paid for with federal COVID relief funds, impacting around $20 million in funding for Indiana schools, after the federal government rescinded a deadline extension. Newly appointed federal education secretary, Linda McMahon, sent a letter to state education leaders on March 28 alerting them that federal aid sent to schools during the COVID-19 pandemic to help kids return safely to schools and recoup learning loss, could no longer be reimbursed. Schools had until the end of last year to spend the remaining funds, also known as Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER), which most schools in Indiana did but some districts sought an extension. McMahon is rescinding that extension, saying in the letter that districts had 'ample time to liquidate obligations.' More impacts from federal govt: How USDA's budget cuts will affect Indiana food banks and school food programs 'Extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department's priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion,' the letter said. After receiving that letter, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) told IndyStar that they identified 15 school districts that could be impacted by McMahon's rescinding of funds. Those schools include: Anderson Community School Corporation Aspire Charter Academy Gary Lighthouse Charter School Lake Ridge New Tech Schools Marion Community Schools North Knox School Corporation Paramount Brookside Richmond Community Schools Salem Community Schools School City of East Chicago South Bend Community School Corporation Southwestern-Jefferson County Consolidated School Corporation Thea Bowman Leadership Academy Vigo County School Corporation Zionsville Community Schools The IDOE also said schools can work with them to determine the status of their funds and next steps. McMahon does state in her letter that extensions could be granted on a case-by-case basis but the school must show how the particular project is necessary to 'mitigate the effects of COVID on American students' education,' and why the department should grant the extension. Overall Indiana saw about $2.9 billion in aid packages sent from the federal government to help schools return to in-person learning and to catch students up after COVID-19 disrupted learning for months. The approximately $20 million that districts were hoping to be reimbursed for has now been put in jeopardy forcing some districts to look at other buckets of funding. South Bend Community School Corporation's chief financial officer, Ahnaf Tahmid, said the district had approximately $1.5 million left, paying for expenditures like instructional professional services and HVAC systems in schools around the district. In a presentation at a South Bend school board meeting on Feb. 9, Tahmid and his team said the district paid more than 500 vendors from the COVID fund for instructional and district programs in the grant's four-year duration. The district plans to submit a list of its ongoing projects to IDOE and request more time, but, Tahmid said, if the extension isn't granted, the district will have to pay the $1.5 million balance from its general fund. The change from the Department of Education may be difficult for districts that had budgeted for a longer liquidation period, he said, but in the case of the South Bend district, he's not too concerned. "I don't see anything alarming at this time, because we were anyway planning to liquidate that as early as possible," Tahmid said. "Maybe we would have done that by March and maybe by April or May — I mean, we wouldn't have waited until December, anyway, so that's not a big alarming thing for us for now." Zionsville Community Schools said they are waiting to hear back from the state on being reimbursed for $13,000 that has already been spent on student support. Paramount Brookside, an Indianapolis charter school, told IndyStar that they had $65,000 in outstanding funds but currently had no plan to recoup those dollars. Contact IndyStar K-12 education reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@ Follow her on Twitter (X): @CarolineB_Indy. Email South Bend Tribune education reporter Rayleigh Deaton at rdeaton@ This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana schools may lose $20M in COVID aid after deadline pulled
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Funding requests for high ability students, public schools dominate subcommittee budget talks
A Senate school funding subcommittee heard multiple hours of testimony Monday amid ongoing lawmaker discussions around the next two-year state budget. (Getty Images) Advocates for Indiana's high ability students descended on the Indiana Statehouse Monday to make their case for continued funding in the next state budget. Since 2007, Indiana public school corporations — including charter schools — are required to identify high ability K-12 students and provide 'appropriately differentiated' curriculum and instruction in core language arts and math courses. Oftentimes, that means students compete coursework typically intended for higher grade levels. Julie Klusas Gasper, executive director of the Indiana Association for the Gifted and Talented, told a Senate school funding subcommittee Monday that there are 130,000 'gifted and talented' students across the state. She urged lawmakers to retain — not reduce — budget dollars for high ability grants, emphasizing that Indiana is one of only 15 states to fund high ability programming. 'We are the gold standard among state gifted programs,' Gasper said. 'Other states look to us as the example of how to do this.' In 2007, lawmakers earmarked $12.7 million to the gifted and talented line item in the state budget. Gasper said that's equal to nearly $20 million in 2025. IDOE uses a formula to decide how many high ability grants go to each school. Flash forward to 2023, the Indiana General Assembly allocated $15 million to the program. Gov. Mike Braun proposed a reduction down to $13 million for the high ability line item in the next biennial budget, however. House Republicans upped the allocation back to $15 million, but it remains unclear what the opposing chamber will do. Gasper called on Senate budget writers to keep funding at $15 million. She said those dollars are necessary for schools to carry out universal testing of students — all students are required by law to be evaluated for high ability performance — as well as for teachers' professional development and evaluations to ensure local high ability programs are effective. Indiana college students who are studying to be teachers are not required to be trained for high ability instruction. Gasper said that increases the importance of grant dollars for 'both new and experienced teachers … to learn how to best instruct these students.' 'What we're doing in Indiana, it works — it's really working,' Gasper continued. 'This money is essential for these kids. It is critical. It is literally a lifeline for them, and this is the only money that's allocated (in the budget).' Gasper further pointed to IDOE's Graduates Prepared to Succeed (GPS) dashboard, which shows that 99.7% of Hoosier high ability students passed the I-READ as third grade students in 2018. The same year, 86.1% of non-high ability students passed the standardized test. Strong results among the student group remained high in subsequent academic years; as of 2024, 99.3% of high ability students passed the I-READ, according to IDOE. High ability high schoolers are also high performers. Per the GPS dashboard, 99.1% of high ability students successfully completed the Graduation Pathways. High ability teachers, parents and students — many from the Perry Township district on the south side of Indianapolis — gave examples of specialized coursework and training that 'wouldn't be possible' if their schools didn't have access to extra state funding. 'Earlier in my career, about 20 years ago … I had no idea what I was doing. I thought they were the easy kids that just needed more work to be challenged. With my zero training, that was a complete disaster at the beginning of my high ability teaching,' said Nina Bowman, a language arts teacher for a high ability eighth graders at Perry Meridian Middle School. I can now effectively support their need to organize this vast amount of thought swirling in their heads. – Nina Bowman, a language arts teacher for a high ability eighth graders at Perry Meridian Middle School 'I quickly and desperately needed opportunities to grow, to figure out how to handle their incredibly complex needs. … The professional development that I've had through our high ability funding over the last 20 years has made me a much better teacher. And now that I have been able to do that, I can design curriculum that is not harder, but it's deeper and more complex and it is engaging,' she added. 'I can now effectively support their need to organize this vast amount of thought swirling in their heads.' Adelynn Davis, a junior at Southport High School in Indianapolis who has participated in high ability programming since kindergarten, said the more rigorous workload 'has instilled time management, study skills and perseverance.' She now spends half of her school days at Central Night Career Center for pilot training. 'Taking advanced placement classes has given me confidence and made my career goal of becoming a pilot more attainable,' Davis said. 'In regards to time management, I've learned to balance my extracurriculars like sports, clubs and jobs with my studies. Since elementary school, with individualized assignments, I've been able to break assignments down into manageable steps — which keeps me focused and less likely to be overwhelmed.' Although senators additionally set aside time for committee discussion on summer school funding, no one signed up to testify on the topic. A mix of testimony from dozens of others largely centered around proposed budget splits between traditional public, charter and private voucher schools. As the Senate takes its turn at the next two-year state budget, investment in K-12 public education is a focal point. House Republicans opted to increase K-12 funding by 2% each year, but that boost includes dollars for fully funded virtual school students and additional money for 'school choice' vouchers. Public school advocates say that the increase for traditional schools alone will be closer to just 1.3%. Indiana bill to shift more dollars from traditional publics to charter schools earns Senate approval 'If you increase the foundation amount, that helps every school district … and can be used for all sorts of purposes,' said Denny Costerison, with the Indiana Association of School Business Officials. 'The foundation amount, for me, is the key. It is the funding base that will have for the next two years … and we hope that we can find some additional dollars to continue to put into there.' DaLynn Jones, of Mishawaka, said 'public education wasn't the best choice' for her children. Without access to Indiana's robust private school voucher program — Choice Scholarships — 'affording private schooling seemed impossible.' 'Our children are our future. In my household, raising four young ladies while staying deeply rooted in our faith and confident in their identities is a top priority. Thanks to the voucher program, we can now make that a reality. My children are thriving in an environment that suits them best,' Jones said. 'I echo the concerns of hundreds of moms when I say they are struggling. They are struggling with their educational choices on how to best to provide for their children.' As an 'Indiana Hoosier mama bear,' Jones asked lawmakers to green light the governor's proposal to make the near-universal voucher program available statewide. Charter school representatives also continued their call for additional state dollars. Separate from the budget, a hotly-debated bill moving through the legislature would require all Indiana public school districts to share property tax dollars with charters in their attendance boundaries if 100 or more students leave the traditional district for brick-and-mortar charters. Although virtual charters would not qualify under the latest draft of the bill, Indiana Connections Academy Executive Director Kelly Simone requested for the Senate's version of the budget to retain House-passed language providing 'funding parity' for online schools. Indiana virtual school students receive the least amount of funding of all school options in Indiana, Simone said; for every dollar spent in support of traditional public schools, a student choosing a virtual school receives about 85 cents. 'The funding we receive through the state budget is critical to our survival. It is our only source of revenue. We do not receive, nor are we asking for local property tax — which in 2024, averaged to around $4,500 per student,' she continued. 'I can assure you that we use every dollar that we receive to provide necessary services to our students. Without adequate and equitable funding, how are we to implement the new graduation requirements? How are we to accommodate new legislation?' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Braun's proposed statewide school safety office earns early support in House committee
CCTV Security monitoring student in classroom at camera surveillance for watching and protect group of children while studying. A new Indiana Office of School Safety prioritized in Gov. Mike Braun's first-term agenda was pitched by lawmakers Thursday as a cost-effective, 'one-stop shop' for state and local officials to collaborate on school safety initiatives. The Republican governor's vision is at the heart of House Bill 1637, authored by Rep. Steve Bartels, R-Eckerty. 'This new office does not increase the government. Actually, the mission is to make school safety more efficient. This bill will take the stakeholders kind of all under one roof, so to speak,' Bartels said, speaking before the House public safety committee. In its current draft, the legislation eliminates the Division of School Building Physical Security and Safety, presently housed in the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), and transfers its duties and staff to Indiana's Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The combined office will help locals implement various safety initiatives, carry out trainings and distribute funds for schools to beef up their safety plans. Braun touted the new safety office Wednesday during his first State of the State address. School safety is emphasized among his education priorities. His gubernatorial platform also mentioned increased funding for security grants, and implementing cyber safety training for students. IDOE's school safety division currently has four employees, according to the state's transparency portal: a director and three specialists. Bartels said many of IDOE's safety responsibilities will transfer to the new office under DHS. That includes establishing and working with schools on safety and emergency plans, as well as operating the School Safety Specialist Training and Certification Program. Indiana's budget earmarked $2 million across fiscal years 2023 and 2024 for the training program. School safety specialists are trained to develop school safety plans — required by law — and ensure schools have the necessary resources for security, intervention, prevention and emergency preparedness, according to IDOE. ... the mission is to make school safety more efficient. This bill will take the stakeholders kind of all under one roof, so to speak. – Rep. Steve Bartels, R-Eckerty Indiana's Secured School Safety Board would also be absorbed by Braun's Office of School Safety. The board, already under DHS, oversees millions of dollars in annual safety grants awarded to Indiana schools. Last year, for example, the board approved $24 million in safety grant funding shared to nearly 500 Indiana schools. In Braun's submitted budget, that amount would grow to $27.1 million each year. Included in the awards were $16 million toward school resource officers at 308 schools; $5 million for security equipment and technology at 140 schools; $882,000 for student and parent support services at 26 schools; $746,000 for 22 schools to improve their construction and safety design; and roughly $47,000 for seven schools to offer firearms training to teachers and staff. The next round of grant funding will be determined during the 2025 legislative session. 'Put their needs first': Braun calls for property tax, health care price cuts at State of the State Bartels' bill would further increase the Secured School Safety Board from seven to 11 members 'to provide some more expertise.' The board currently has one full time position — a director — who Bartels said would transition to director of the Office of School Safety, 'so we're not increasing a full-time position.' 'Now, we'll have the additional responsibilities and duties to oversee, study, collect information, establish, and maintain school safety practices throughout the state of Indiana,' he added. Bartels, who chairs the House committee assigned to the bill, said amendments and a committee vote are expected next week. Separate provisions in his legislation would require local school safety plans to include annual inspections of 'protective door assemblies' inside school buildings, and add a fire chief designee to each county's school safety commission. Another section of the bill changes Indiana's 'open burn' statute to allow DHS, along with volunteer and municipal fire departments, to burn open fires without a permit for training purposes. A mandate is created in the bill, too, for cities, towns and counties that require certain local building construction permits to allow inspections to be conducted by third party inspectors, at the choosing and expense of permit applicants. And when it comes to 'an issue' with a firefighter — 'whether it's performance, conduct, education' — Bartels' bill stipulates that proceedings should begin at the local agency level — not with the state firefighter's board. The representative said the switch would be aligned with Indiana's disciplinary policy for emergency medical service (EMS). SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
