After the ISTEP+ panel issued its final report, the Legislature has a year to plan and implement a new test, against the advice of experts.

Fifty-two percent of students passed both the English Language Arts and Math sections of the test. This is compared to 53 percent in 2015.

The decision by the board, endorses a different type of expanded preschool than the version proposed by outgoing state superintendent Glenda Ritz.

The Indiana State Board of Education voted Wednesday to suspend part of Indiana law that requires schools to show progress in closing these gaps to receive an "A" ranking in the state's A-F system.

The state accuses CTB, now Data Recognition Corporation, of not living up to contractual duties after the company substantially delayed releasing 2015 ISTEP+ scores.

The state Board of Education has scheduled five public hearings for schools in Indianapolis, Gary, East Chicago and Evansville that have been placed in the lowest category of school improvement for five straight years.

Members of the Indiana board of education say leaders of Thea Bowman Academy followed all the state requirements to seek a new sponsor and were not "authorizer shopping" as they fought to stay open beyond this month. The board voted Wednesday to approve an authorizer associated with a private university to be the new sponsor of the Gary school.

Rep. Rokita, former Indiana secretary of state, proposed federal legislation last month that would tighten eligibility for free school lunch programs across the country.

For more than two hours Wednesday night, parents, students, educators and alumni testified in support of three Indianapolis Public Schools in the midst of turnaround efforts.

Public hearings will be held April 6 and 13 about the future of six Indianapolis public schools under state intervention.