Indiana House, Senate each pass ISTEP bills
Indiana lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved bills giving teachers and schools a one-year reprieve from being punished for poor student performance on ISTEP exams.
K-12
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Cash-strapped Tindley sued over staffing agency fee
Pinnacle Partners Inc. has sued the charter school operator for allegedly failing to pay its $15,000 finder’s fee for placing a staff accountant. Tindley recently missed ambitious enrollment targets, creating a cash crunch.
State awards $9.6M in grants to help avoid teacher shortages
The Indiana Commission for Higher education announced the 13 grants on Wednesday.
UPDATE: State education panel leader wants to re-score ISTEP
Rep. Robert Behning, R-Indianapolis, said he wants to hire a contractor to re-score the 2015 ISTEP test, which he calls a “disaster.” Meanwhile, the House education committee approved a measure sparing teachers from having their performance pay reduced as a result of the scores.
Pence signs on to Ritz approach to ‘pause’ sanctions
Democrats and Republicans are backing a proposal expected to be considered by the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday. The bill proposes schools may not receive a lower grade for 2015 than they received in 2014.
Pence, House GOP not on same page as lawmakers return
A lack of consensus among Republicans on several issues—including questions about gay rights, transportation funding and ISTEP testing—looms large as lawmakers ready for the 2016 legislative session, which kicks off Tuesday.
Report: ‘No evidence’ that ISTEP software glitch hurt scores
Investigators found no evidence that students were given incorrect lower scores on this spring’s high-stakes ISTEP exam, according to state officials.
House leader suggests dumping ISTEP for new exam
An idea to scrap Indiana’s state standardized test in favor of an “off-the-shelf” test could make a comeback during this year’s legislative session.
Lawrence Township’s $12M magnet plan creates little movement
Five years ago, Lawrence Township became one of the first districts in the nation to convert all of its elementary schools into magnet schools. Today, few parents are exercising choice—at most schools, 90 percent of students come from the surrounding neighborhood.
Indiana high school graduation rate among country’s highest
The Education Department said Tuesday that the rate for the 2013-14 school year was 87.9 percent in Indiana.
Indiana asks vendor about possible problems with test scores
The Indiana Department of Education asked the company that scores the important standardized test for the number of test items and schools that may have been affected by a computer malfunction that could have caused results to be inadvertently changed.
Excel Centers giving more students a 2nd chance at diploma
Demand is up at Excel Centers, a network of dropout-recovery charter schools run by Goodwill Industries. Statewide, 846 students graduated from the centers in 2015, 33 percent more than last year.
ISTEP legislation coming after clamor over Indiana scores
House Education Committee chairman Robert Behning, an Indianapolis Republican, said he'll have a bill ready during the first weeks of the legislative session in January for a one-year suspension of ISTEP as part of teacher evaluations.
Lawmakers to consider ISTEP-related accountability
At issue this year is what to do about test-score-based school accountability measures now that the state is expecting much lower scores.
IPS considering big changes in school-funding formula
A funding plan under consideration by Indianapolis Public Schools lan could have far-reaching consequences for students and teachers across the city, with some schools coming out ahead—and others facing difficult choices.
Teacher panel calls for raises, pay for advanced degrees
A 49-member panel comprised mostly of teachers from across the state on Monday refined its recommendations for how the state should mentor, train, recruit and pay teachers.
Mind Trust receives $3 million grant from Fairbanks
The Mind Trust education reform group will receive $3 million more from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation to launch new public schools, attract teachers to Indianapolis and advance changes in K-12 schools.
Preliminary numbers show big plunge in school grades
While the numbers are just preliminary findings, they paint a dire picture. For example, the number of schools that received an "A'' grade plunged by more than 50 percent when compared to last year.
Firms start early trying to entice science-oriented students
Dozens of companies across central Indiana are using programs aimed at middle- and high-school students to develop a pool of talented kids who are interested in science, technology, engineering and math to fill the growing number of jobs for which such skills are necessary.
Indiana school leaders blasting ISTEP ahead of score release
School leaders around Indiana have been increasing criticism of the state's standardized test as they brace for the release of scores that will show a double-digit drop in passing rates for students.