Indiana proposes new A-to-F school grades, but fate of failing schools is undecided

Indiana is bringing back A-to-F letter grades for schools by 2026, and state education officials unveiled a first draft of the grading system Wednesday. But what happens to chronically failing schools in the new system remains up in the air, at least for now.

Secretary of Education Katie Jenner told WFYI that her department plans to work with state lawmakers to review current law for low-performing schools to “determine if there needs to be any adjustment ahead."

Those conversations would seek to “ensure that our D and F schools are continuing to improve for students and families in their local communities,” Jenner said. 

No grades have been issued to schools since 2018. And in 2021, Indiana removed all formal consequences from the state’s accountability model.

Jenner said the department’s first step will be to develop the new A-to-F system. A 2023 state law tasks the state’s Department of Education with creating a new system. Additional legislation this year requires the department to finalize the plan by December. 

The department and Jenner will work closely with Gov. Mike Braun and state lawmakers, she said. In a statement Wednesday, Braun called for the state’s system to “transparently and accurately reflect the preparedness of all students.”

Forcing schools to improve

Indiana’s prior A-to-F accountability system was originally designed to push schools to improve. If a school received failing grades for too many consecutive years, the state could take over operations from the district and appoint a new manager. 

Many local school communities and some lawmakers found the years-long intervention to be a failure.

A state law ended the state takeover of failing public schools in 2021. Since then schools have not received official accountability grades.

Under the new proposed priorities, updated ratings would consider more than just academic performance and graduation rates, rather a “whole-student” view. 

Schools will still be awarded points for student successes, like passing IREAD-3 or meeting benchmarks on the ILEARN assessment. But additional indicators — such as regular school attendance, proficiency in science and social studies at certain grade levels, and progress among English language learners — would also factor into school evaluations.

For high schools, the changes align with the state’s new diploma requirements. Success for seniors would be measured by completing a diploma seal, work-based learning experience or credential of value.

In 10th grade, the model would also consider: 

• College and career coursework
• Proficiency in biology end-of-course exam
• Score proficient for college readiness on PSAT

What's next?

The draft accountability model is now available to the public, launching a months-long feedback process. Public feedback on the plan can be submitted here. 

Jenner said as a parent she values accountability, but as an educator she knows schools will want to “capture as much of the picture as possible” of how a student performs. 

“We're continuing to hear from parents and families and others about the value of still knowing the A to F ranking,” Jenner said. “I think we have to hear that loud and clear and acknowledge the value to Hoosiers and work together to set up an accountability model that truly does show as much of the learning picture and progression of a student as possible.”

The State Board of Education must adopt a final draft of the accountability rule utilizing an A-to-F grading scale by Dec. 31, per state law.

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