Members of Indiana Board of Education to propose changes to way schools are graded
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The Indiana Board of Education meeting on Wednesday will have members introduce a proposal that could change the way schools are graded. Cari Whicker and Tony Walker stopped by Daybreak to talk about the proposal.
They are on opposite ends when it comes to the proposal but both agree something needs to change. Indiana’s A through F grading is used to rate schools based on whether students are learning, with an emphasis on state testing.
The newly proposed rules which will be brought to Wednesday morning’s meeting adds a “well-rounded” portion for elementary schools and an “on-track” measure for high schools. Whicker says tests are being emphasized and Walker believes that part is less impactful.
“This is slightly less testing anyway you look at it,” said Walker. “The elementary model, under the current rule, is 100 percent testing, this one is 9 percent testing. The high school model we have is currently 40 percent testing. This is going to reduce it to 25 percent based on testing performance.”
“If you decrease the number of growth, it depends on how you determine the weight of the test,” said Whicker. “If you determine a school’s score is based on how many students passed, the test or if you’re thinking of a school taking students from point A to point B, it’s all in the value you give it and how you look at things.”The proposal from Wednesday’s meeting is not final, there will still be a public comment period before a final vote later this year.