Senate OKs Bill That Would Study ISTEP Replacement

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Senate has approved a bill calling for the creation of a committee that would study replacing the troubled ISTEP exam.

The measure passed on a 38-10 vote Tuesday was dramatically different from a version of the bill approved by the House.

That measure, sponsored by GOP Indianapolis Rep. Bob Behning, would have allowed the State Board of Education to rescore the 2015 ITEP exam, which was plagued by glitches.

Instead the Senate overhauled the bill, calling for the creation of a 22-member committee that would explore alternatives to the ISTEP. If changes made to the bill are agreed to by the House, the committee would have to report their findings to lawmakers by December of 2016.