A-to-F letter grades likely returning for Indiana schools. What to know

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Indiana schools will once again be assigned A-to-F letter grades, reinstating an accountability measure that has been paused since the 2020-21 school year.

On Wednesday, state education leaders provided an early look at a new system for evaluating how well schools educate students. However, it remains unclear when schools will begin receiving grades under the updated system.

The overhaul follows years of debate about the future of high school diplomas, addressing a literacy crisis among elementary students, and assessing the pandemic's impact on student achievement.

Work on a new accountability system has been underway for some time. A 2023 law tasked the State Board of Education with updating the way it evaluates public and state-accredited nonpublic schools.

The board is still required to use the A-to-F grading scale but must align it with metrics in the Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed dashboard. The dashboard, launched more than two years ago, allows families to assess school quality.

Metrics include academic performance, such as third-grade reading proficiency, growth in math skills, and earning college credit.

State lawmakers could also push for further changes to the system during the legislative session, similar to recent discussions on high school diplomas.

New system this year

House Bill 1498, authored by Rep. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis), would strip back some of the older accountability framework so that a new A-F rule can be built up by the board.

However, if passed, developing a new accountability system would be placed on a tight deadline: establishing a new model by the end of 2025.

The bill outlines specific guidelines for measuring school performance. The new system would:

• Prioritize students earning diploma seals,
• Be based on data from the GPS dashboard,
• Include proficiency rates from state assessments, and
• Feature a high school "on-track to graduate" indicator.

HB 1498 also calls for null letter grades to continue through the 2024-25 school year.

State Department of Education staff shared potential changes to the system during a presentation Wednesday.

“This framework is to initiate a much broader critical discussion, to take us from a recommended framework to a final model,” said Ron Sandlin, the education department’s deputy chief strategy officer.

The department has spent around 17 months talking with Hoosiers and developing their proposal, Sandlin said. Sandlin said the state cannot rely on older models to measure this next era of education.

In 2011 the A-F system was created to replace more descriptive ratings with letter grades. Then, in 2014, the system was updated to prioritize student’s academic progress.

Under the new proposed priorities, updated ratings would consider more than just academic performance and graduation rates.

For 10th-grade indicators, the system would expand beyond academics to include attendance, advanced coursework, and reduced chronic absenteeism. Schools would also be credited for students who score above 860 on the PSAT — a benchmark achieved by more than 90% of test-takers.

“At 10th grade, where are our students,” Sandlin said. “Is everyone on a path? Does everyone have a plan, and do we have the capacity to support that plan? And our accountability model will incentivize, encourage and celebrate those schools that are effectively doing that, as opposed to now waiting until the very end and saying, ‘Well, you got there or you didn’t’”.

The changes in accountability for high schools would be paired with the state’s diploma model, so success for seniors would be measured by completing a diploma seal, work-based learning experience or credential of value. Students would be on their chosen path for either an education, employment or enlistment seal. 

Board members expressed support for the initial themes of the department’s plan. Scott Bess said the older system put a lot of weight on growth, which resulted in leaving students behind.

“If you could get a kid to achieve and grow, you could get 125 points for that student, which means you didn't have to worry about this other kid over here who's only going to get 50 points,” Bess said. “Put those two together and it's still a good grade, right? And so you can see people leaving groups of students behind, because from an accountability system, it didn't matter.”

Board member B.J. Watts said the system should be kept simple and “a tool for getting better”.

“Are the students in our buildings getting better while they’re there,” Watt said.

The board plans to continue discussions in the coming months, engaging with Hoosier families and educators. The department will also seek public feedback throughout the process before finalizing the system.

The A-to-F accountability system was initially designed to force failing schools to improve. If a school received failing grades for too many consecutive years, the state could sever it from the district and appoint a new manager. In 2011, four schools in Indianapolis and one in Gary were taken over.

However, the years-long intervention was widely seen as a failure by local communities and some lawmakers.

In 2021, a state law ended the state takeover of underperforming public schools.

Rachel Fradette is the WFYI Statehouse education reporter. Contact Rachel at rfradette@wfyi.org.