Indiana schools chief suggests grades for districts

Indiana's public education chief wants to start giving school districts letter grades on an A-to-F scale to hold them accountable for how their schools perform.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett made the suggestion Wednesday to the State Board of Education, which this month will decide whether to back the first state takeover of troubled schools.

Six of the seven schools facing takeover are in the Indianapolis Public Schools district.

IPS Superintendent Eugene White told The Indianapolis Star that the district doesn't have a systemic problem, saying 57 of its 63 schools aren't on probation despite high rates of students in poverty, homelessness and special education programs.

All schools around the state will this year receive letter grades instead of being placed in categories such as "exemplary" or "probation."