Educators Flunk the School Grading System in Indiana
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| Where is Tony when you Need Him? |
One of the legacies of corporate reformer Tony Bennett in Indiana is a system by which schools are assigned a letter grade, based largely on test scores. The State Board of Education is considering making changes to this system, and last week held a public hearing. Today, I am sharing the testimony of three educators who spoke out. You can view video of the entire hearing here. (The public hearing is on the first video posted there.)
Dr. Vic Smith: Four Flaws in the System
Last month in the Oct. 2nd State Board meeting, the discussion of the A-F system implemented last October ignored the system's flaws that led the General Assembly to pass HEA 1427 saying "Not later than November 15, 2013, the state board shall establish new categories or designations of school performance under the requirements of this chapter to replace 511 IAC 6.2-6. "
It is truly sad that Indiana's schools are soon to be graded using a system that has lost the confidence of both the General Assembly and the general public. The flaws that led the General Assembly to void the system include the following:
Flaw #1: It is based primarily on the percent passing, rather than on improvement as PL221 called for. That creates an incentive to give extra attention to students near the pass line, the so-called "bubble" kids, to try to get them over the pass line in the next test.
Flaw #2: The bonuses for growth are anemic compared to