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Chicago Tribune
21-07-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Indiana SAT results show students vexed by math, but increase reading and writing scores
Indiana juniors who took the state-required SAT exam improved their reading and writing scores, while posting a slight improvement in math. The 2024-25 scores on the SAT taken by 81,620 juniors showed a 2.7% improvement on the evidence-based reading and writing portion, but just a slight math score improvement from last year. The Indiana State Board of Education reviewed the scores last week after their release. A state law requires students to take a national college entrance exam and receive a passing score no lower than the national cut score. This year's 'at college-ready' benchmark score for reading and writing is 480, while the math score is 530. The College Board administers the SAT. In reading and writing, 54.5% of students scored at or above the college-ready benchmark but in math, just 25.4% received passing scores, compared to 25.2% last year. The pass rate for both reading/writing and math was 24.5%. State assessment guidelines will change next year, as the state board develops a new grading system in line with the state's new diploma standards, effective for the Class of 2029, who begin ninth grade year this fall. Students can choose from a diploma that offers three readiness seals — college-bound, workforce employment, and military enlistment. Under the new model, juniors will still be required to take the SAT, but the scores will only be used toward graduation if a student chooses that option. Board member B.J. Watts said last week he wasn't too concerned about the low math scores because it's likely many of the juniors who took the exam weren't planning on going to college. 'If we only pulled out students who are college-bound, scores change drastically. 'Students may not see their place in that test,' he said. Lake Central High School, one of the largest traditional public schools in Northwest Indiana, with nearly 3,000 students, had the most students passing both portions of the SAT at 51.1%. Its students also had the top math pass rate at 52.8%. Among charter schools, the Hammond Academy for Science and Technology (HAST) had the highest pass rate for both subjects at 21.3%. Among private schools, Illiana Christian had the top pass rate for both subjects at 57.6%, including 59.25% of juniors passing the math portionEBRW Math Both State 54.5% 25.4% 24.4% Lake County Calumet New Tech 23.6% 4.9% 2.1% Crown Point 72% 39.9% 38.7% East Chicago 31% 5% 4.2% Gary West Side 20.5% 9.1% 3.8% Griffith 54.8% 11.5% 11.5% Hammond Central 23.8% 2.6% 2.6% Hammond Morton 22.5% 1.7% 1.7% Hanover Central 69.4% 31.6% 30.1% Highland 59.4% 21.2% 20.3% Hobart 53.8% 19% 17.7% Lake Central 73.9% 52.8% 51.1% Lake Station 31.3% 2.5% 1.3% Lowell 56.3% 21.6% 21.2% Merrillville 37.4% 13.1% 12% Munster 83.1% 46.6% 46.4% Whiting 37.5% 18.2% 14.8% Porter County Boone Grove 71% 35.5% 34.4% Chesterton 69.1% 39.5% 38.9% Hebron 53.3% 16.1% 14.9% Kouts 56.4% 27.3% 25.5% Morgan 71% 38.7% 38.7% NWI Online School (Duneland) 33.3% 4.8% 4.8% Portage 43.4% 16% 14.2% Valparaiso 70.9% 38.9% 38.1% Washington Twp. 81.5% 29.2% 27.7% Wheeler 60.7% 39.3% 35.7% Charter schools 21st Century Charter 25.7% 2.7% 2.7% Gary Lighthouse 10.2% 3.7% 1.9% Gary Middle College 5.3% 0% 0% HAST (Hammond) 56.3% 21.3% 21.3% Neighbors New Vistas 20.8% 4.2% 4.2% Steel City Academy 54.2% 0% 0% Thea Bowman 26.5% 0% 0% Private schools Andrean 81.7% 40.9% 39.1% Bishop Noll 69.7% 22.9% 22.3% Calumet Christian 87.5% 18.8% 18.8% Hammond Baptist 74.2% 29% 29% Illiana Christian 84.8% 59.2% 57.6% Marquette 77.8% 47.6% 44.4% Portage Christian 63.6% 27.3% 22.7% Victory Christian 79.2% 29.2% 29.2% *Indiana Department of Education
Indianapolis Star
05-06-2025
- 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
07-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
VCSC prepares for upcoming Indiana high school diploma changes
VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The Indiana State Board of Education has approved of a re-designed high school diploma. Here in the Wabash Valley, Vigo County School Corporation is already preparing its students for the upcoming change. Back in December, the State Board of Education approved of the new high school diploma changes. Instead of multiple diplomas, Indiana will only have one. Plus, students can earn a 'seal' based on their path choice of enrollment, employment, or enlistment. Readiness seals are designed to be permeable, allowing students to update their plans and pivot if goals or interests change with time. Indiana-DiplomaDownload The Vigo County School Corporation say they are committed to preparing students for college and careers, from the earliest grades to prepare them for making choices about the new diploma. With that, communication is key. 'Our schools been working in the last three months to really start rolling out some information to get it ready,' said the Deputy Superintendent of Vigo County School Corporation, Dr. John. Newport. 'The Indiana Department of Education is calling it a 'high school redesign.' It's really intended to offer more flexibility and opportunities for students in the long haul.' Indiana leaders have spent the last year seeking out feedback through the state and learning from schools that have tried to blend the experiences of K-12, higher education, and the workforce. This built the foundation of a new diploma that they believe will remove barriers to students' futures. 'We want every student as a K-12 entity to graduate from high school with the tools they need to succeed. We've also been working for many years of enhancing our curriculum,' said Newport. Indiana schools have until 2028 to implement the changes but can opt-in starting next school year. 'It's not just our ultimate goal for (students) to walk the stage, it's a 13-year event to get there,' said Newport. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
